Star Wars Altered Universe: Episode III
by Scott W. Ferguson
Summary: Four years later, Anakin and Padme Skywalker find themselves pulled back into the Clone Wars, as Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives seeking Anakin's help. As the dark will of the Lord of the Sith begins to reveal itself at last, will their love be strong enough to see them through this latest threat? The sequel to AU Episode II. Romance/Action/Adventure
1. Home is Where Your Heart Is

**_Star Wars Altered Universe_**

**_Episode III: Revenge of The Sith_**

_**Adapted from George Lucas' Star Wars Universe**_

_**By **_

_**Scott Ferguson**_

_**Author's Note:** Greetings, everyone! And welcome to the next adventure in my Star Wars Altered Universe series!  
_

_As you venture into the story, keep in mind that this one follows my own version of Episode II. As for the characters, you know most of them well – but you'll also find many new ones as you read along. Again, one thing to note – in my story, Ryoo and Pooja are brother and sister, not two girls as in the canon. Why? Well, it just fit better into my little world and, given that G.L. dropped it from the film completely, I decided it adapt it to my own world as I saw fit._

_With that said and out of the way, I hope that you all enjoy this story – if it's your first time to read it, welcome, and if you've read it before, I hope you enjoy it just as much the second time around!_

_May the Force be with you all! _

_Prologue_

**_AU Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith_**

_It has been almost four years since that morning at the Jedi Temple, in Mace Windu's audience chamber. _

_They had returned home to Naboo that same evening, amid much celebration by Padmé's family, and their new life together has been peaceful and content. Their love for each other, and the bond between them, has continued to grow, and the two of them have become inseparable, as the years and months have passed quickly by._

_With the help of Ruwee Naberrie, Padmé's father, she and Anakin have built a thriving family business. The combination of Padmé's exceptional management skills, honed from her many years of public service, and Anakin's uncanny repair and construction skills have proven to be an amazing combination, and their family has enjoyed the contentment and prosperity that the fruits of their labors have provided._

_Anakin has continued to grow more at one with the Force, and his skills have grown almost as quickly and powerfully as his love and devotion for Padmé. He has faithfully kept up with his training and saber practice, in no small part because of Padmé's continual encouragement, and, as his knowledge of the Force has grown, he has become an incredible swordsman over the past four years._

_True to Master Windu's word, the Council, for the most part, has left them in peace, and, other than an occasional visit and hologram from Anakin's former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, they have grown happily accustomed to the relative seclusion that their family's home on Naboo has brought them. Indeed, except for several trips to Coruscant for Anakin to meet with the Council, and an occasional one to Tatooine to visit Cleige, Owen, and Beru, their cruiser has remained in the small hangar that Anakin, Ruwee, and Darred built for it shortly after their return home._

_Their last trip had been a wonderful occasion indeed, as, just over six months ago, they had traveled to Anakin's old home to celebrate Owen and Beru's long awaited wedding. The celebration was twofold, however, as Anakin and Padmé broke the news to his extended family that Padmé was expecting._

_As the weeks passed after they first received the joyous news that they would soon be parents, their joy was compounded again when, late one night, while she lay in the love and security of Anakin's arms, she had told him that she carried not one child, but two; twins, it seemed, would soon arrive to bless their lives with even more happiness._

_In dark contrast to Anakin and Padmé's peaceful life on Naboo, across the quadrant, the Clone Wars have continued to rage on, sporadically, as the newly founded Republic Army continues to repel attack after attack by battalions of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Despite Count Dooku's apparent defeat on Geonosis almost four years ago, the Confederacy has remained intact, and disputes and conflicts have begun to rise in recent months._

_After their losses on Geonosis at the start of the Clone Wars, the Jedi have found themselves spread thin across the galaxy, as they attempt to maintain peace and stem the powers and growing influence of the Dark Side. Count Dooku has not been seen or heard from since he left Geonosis on the day the battle had begun, and his whereabouts remain as much of a mystery as the identity of the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, now a member of the Jedi Council, has been given the daunting assignment of attempting to learn the identity and whereabouts of the elusive Sith Lord and his apprentice._

_As we resume our story, we find Anakin at work in his family's repair shop. It is late afternoon, and Naboo's blue sky is beginning to turn a dark topaz, as the sun begins to slip low toward the horizon._

* * *

Anakin looked through the dark smoke goggles that he held up to his eyes as he sealed the last circuit on the small power coupling; the bright, white light of the fuser in his hand reflected off the wall near him as he worked. The seal complete, he lowered the goggles and admired his work for a moment; he laid the goggles and fuser down on the seat of the speeder bike that he worked on, and touched the frame of the power coupling gingerly; it wasn't too hot.

"How's it coming?" Ruwee asked, wiping his hands on the dirty rag that he kept in his pocket. He looked over Anakin's shoulder with a keenly interested expression, as he watched his son-in-law snap the power coupling back in place.

"Well," Anakin sighed, studying the coupling intently as he secured it and snapped the wiring harnesses back into place, "we're gonna find out in just a minute."

Ruwee watched as Anakin stood up and turned toward him, taking the dirty rag that his father-in-law offered him. " Would you like to do the honors?" Anakin grinned, wiping his hands.

Ruwee smiled at him, and, reaching over to the handlebars, he flipped the enabler switch, and pressed the starter.

The engine turned over several times, slowly, and then, with a burst of dust from the emitters under the bike, the engine sprang to life, as the bike rose several inches off the floor, hovering steadily.

"Ha,ha, I knew it!" Ruwee exclaimed, giddy as a schoolboy, as he turned to Anakin, patting him proudly on the back. "I told old Barrymore that you could fix it!"

Anakin laughed, wiping his hands as Ruwee pushed the throttle several times; the engine whined smoothly, just like new. "Good work, son," he said, looking back at Anakin proudly. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Thanks, Dad," Anakin chuckled, picking up his tools from the bike's seat.

"Tell you what," Ruwee said, as he flipped the switch and powered the speeder's engines back off, "don't even bother cleaning up the shop tonight. We'll get it in the morning."

"Sounds good to me," Anakin nodded, as he placed his tools back on his workbench; as he did, Ruwee took hold of the handlebars and pushed the bike slowly toward the front of the workshop. Anakin finished wiping the last of the carbon from his hands, and then tossed the rag back over onto his workbench.

They both heard the loud chirp from the comlink in Anakin's pocket, as it echoed through their small workshop. "That would be home now," Ruwee chuckled, as he turned and watched Anakin pull the small device from his pocket. He pressed the button on the small device, and he heard the chirp from the other end as the com channel opened.

"_How's it coming over there, sweetheart?"_ a sweet, melodic voice called, inquisitively.

"Told ya," Ruwee said with a wink, looking back over his shoulder as he heard his daughter's voice over the comlink. Anakin grinned back at him, as he watched Ruwee push the bike through the door and into the front of the shop.

"Just fine," Anakin said. "We're just finishing up now."

"_Good_," he heard Padmé reply happily. "_Hurry home. Dinner will be ready by the time you get here."_

"Tell her we'll be there in a few minutes," he heard Ruwee call loudly from the front of their workshop. "And tell her we're starving!"

"Did you hear that?" Anakin asked, chuckling under his breath.

"_I did_," he heard Padmé laugh on the other end. "_Hurry home, then. Love you_."

"Love you, too," Anakin said, and then he tucked the comlink back into his pocket and, turning off the light over his workbench, he walked toward the front of the shop.

* * *

Their shop was centered in the middle of a bustling commercial district, only a short distance from their home, so it never took them more than a few moments to get home in the evening. In the almost four years since they had opened it, they had built a thriving business. Anakin's skills as a repairman for, well, pretty much anything, had become widely known in the small village in which they made their home. So much so, in fact, that it wasn't unusual for them to have items brought by courier droids from locations much farther away.

Anakin rode in the passenger's seat of their small speeder, enjoying the cool evening breeze as Ruwee piloted them out of the city proper and down the quiet, winding road that lead to their home. His hair was considerably longer now, and he ran his hand through it, sweeping it out of his eyes, as he leaned back in the seat and took a deep, contented breath.

Padmé liked it longer; after they had come home to Naboo and begun their new life together, he had let it grow out a bit. She had grown so fond of it, that she had encouraged him to keep letting it grow, and she kept it trimmed for him so that it now reached just to the top of his shoulders. Whatever pleased her suited him, and, though he had never cared for long hair before the two of them were married, he had come to like it, once he had gotten used to it.

He couldn't imagine being any happier. He and his father-in-law had grown very close over the time that he and Padmé had been married, and he thoroughly enjoyed these commutes with him back and forth to their workshop every day. Their morning rides to the shop were usually filled with conversation about what needed to be done during the day, and then, in the evenings, the topics usually shifted to home and family.

Family was always a favorite topic for them both. Especially lately.

"How's she feeling today?" Ruwee asked, as he turned his eyes from the road toward Anakin for a moment.

"She said she felt a little sick this morning," Anakin replied. "But I checked on her around midday today and she said she felt fine."

"Just like her mother," Ruwee sighed, looking back out toward the road as they zipped smoothly along. "She had the same problem with both of the girls," he said, and then laughed quietly. "But Padmé was worse."

"That's what Mom told me," Anakin laughed back at him.

"Well," Ruwee grinned, "I think it was just Padmé getting a head start on stirring things up."

"And she's been doing it ever since," Anakin laughed, as Ruwee turn the speeder off the main road and started down the long drive to their home.

"Yes, indeed," Ruwee said, as he turned the speeder up near the front of their large, brightly lit house. "I'm afraid you're going to have your hands full, my boy," he said with a broad smile.

Ruwee powered down the speeder, as they slowed to a stop. He turned and watched, as amazed and amused as ever, as Anakin, quite effortlessly, sprang from the seat, completely clearing the side of the speeder. "What's the hurry, boy?" he called, as usual, as he watched Anakin trot toward the house. "She'll be there when you get there."

Ruwee knew many things about Anakin Skywalker; some he understood, and some, such as his Jedi skills and mastery of the Force, he didn't. But the one that warmed his heart the most was knowing how much this bright, sandy haired young man truly loved his youngest daughter. Anakin's life revolved around her, and he could never have hoped for her to be loved more completely or more deeply than she was by Anakin.

"And, predictable as the tides," Ruwee laughed under his breath, watching Anakin turn the doorknob and enter the house, "the eternal honeymoon goes on."

* * *

"Do you think this casserole is ready, Mom?" Padmé asked, as she opened the oven door slightly, and looked in at the bubbling, simmering dish.

Jobal started to answer, and then she paused as she looked up from the sink where she worked toward the kitchen door, as she saw him standing there.

She had grown accustomed to this game that the two of them played from time to time. At first, Anakin had found it relatively easy to catch Padmé by surprise, and he took great delight in doing so. But, as the bond between her youngest daughter and Anakin had grown stronger over the years, he was finding it more and more of a challenge to do so, yet he still tried, from time to time.

Anakin stood quietly in the doorway to the kitchen; he raised his finger to his lips, as he looked across the kitchen to where Padmé stood, talking to her mother.

Jobal, nodded, quietly, as she turned and walked back to the counter where her daughter stood. "I think it should be, Padmé," she said, reaching into the cupboard beside her and retrieving a stack of plates. "Let's go ahead and take it out."

Anakin took a silent step into the kitchen, just as Padmé opened the oven door and carefully removed the casserole dish and placed it on top of the stove.

"I feel you back there," Padmé suddenly said, as she looked up from the dish that she had just taken out of the oven, her back still turned to him.

"You're losing your touch, Anakin," Jobal sighed, shaking her head as she picked up the plates and started toward the dining room with them.

"I don't know if I'm losing my touch," Anakin chuckled, as Jobal walked up to him and elbowed him gently, and then walked into the dining room, "or if hers is just getting better."

Anakin walked across the kitchen and wrapped his arms gently around Padmé from behind, and leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm just going to give up trying to sneak up on you," he said, as she turned her head and looked at him with a smile.

"You might as well," she beamed, as she looked over her shoulder at him. "I felt you when you turned off the main road toward the house."

"You wouldn't let him," Anakin heard Jobal call loudly from the dining room. "You enjoy that game too much, and so does he."

Padmé laughed, and then she closed her eyes as he leaned toward her and kissed her tenderly. "Hi," she said, opening her eyes and smiling warmly at him.

"Hi," Anakin beamed back at her, as Padmé turned and hugged him, tightly.

"Did you have a good day?" she asked, as she released him, but only partway, from her warm embrace.

"I did," Anakin nodded. "I got that speeder bike running that old man Barrymore brought in yesterday."

"Of course you did," Padmé nodded. "There was never any doubt that you would."

Padmé gazed at him fondly for a moment, and then she slipped her hands down from around his neck and, taking his hands gently in hers, she placed them softly on her round stomach. "They've been moving a lot today," she said, grinning up at him. "I felt them both kick just before you got home."

Anakin looked down, smiling as he moved his hands, very gently, on her stomach. "Just hold your hands still," Padmé said, as she placed her hands gently on his. "They'll move in a minute."

Padmé looked up at him, just as she felt the soft thump inside her womb, just beneath Anakin's hand. She laughed, softly, as she watched him smile, his face beaming with an almost childlike wonder, as he felt their unborn twins move inside her.

"I think they know their daddy's here," she chuckled, as Anakin looked up at her and their eyes met.

Padmé closed her eyes as Anakin leaned down and kissed her, softly. She felt that strong, soothing tremor again, the same one she felt whenever his heart spoke to hers.

"I love you, too," she said, softly, as she opened her eyes and gazed fondly up at him.

"Well, there you are," Sola said, as she walked into the kitchen from the dining room. "We were wondering if you and Dad were home yet," she said, as she looked at Anakin as he and Padmé stood near the kitchen counter, his hands still on her stomach.

"Have you felt them move yet today?" Sola asked, as she opened the drawer near the stove and placed a large spoon in the dish that Padmé had taken out of the oven a few moments before.

"Just now," he nodded, his face still beaming brightly.

Padmé turned to her sister as she answered him. "They've been jumping all over the place today," Sola sighed. "I'm surprised she can even sit still with all that moving around."

"By the way," Sola said, as she picked up the dish and turned toward him again. "Ryoo wanted to know earlier if his Uncle Ani would have time to help him with that droid you've got him building. Darred looked at it with him earlier, but he thought it might help if you gave him a hand."

"I'll be happy too," Anakin nodded. "Right after dinner."

"Speaking of droids," he said, glancing around the kitchen, "where's Threepio? I didn't see him when I came in."

"He's out back," Padmé said, nodding toward the garden at the rear of the house. "He's been out working all afternoon on that irrigation system that Mom's been wanting."

"Well, come on, you two," Sola said, looking over her shoulder at them as she headed toward the dining room. "Dinner's on the table."

Anakin placed his hand gently on Padmé's shoulder, and then they followed Sola out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

* * *

Jobal looked up from her end of the long dining room table; she sighed, quite contentedly, as her family sat gathered around it, talking happily as they passed plates and dishes back and forth.

She remembered when the table was shorter, before Anakin and Padmé had come home to stay. Ever since the girls where young, she and Ruwee had occupied the places at the end of the long rectangular table, and Padmé and Sola had both sat on either side. When Padmé had gone off to the service academy, and Sola married, Darred had taken her youngest daughter's place, and, when Ryoo and Pooja arrived, they had set them, one on either side, with their parents. And then, when Anakin and Padmé had arrived, they had rummaged through the house and, with considerable effort, tracked down the two extra leaves and added them, and, rearranging the seating order yet again, made room for the newest additions to the family.

She smiled, as she realized that, soon, they would be rearranging one more time. If the measure of a full life were to be gauged by the number of one's children and grandchildren who occupied the house, then, she thought to herself, her life was full indeed.

"So," she said, looking to Ruwee across the table. "I trust things went well at the shop today?"

"Very well, indeed," Ruwee nodded, looking up from his plate. "Anakin and I are caught up on almost everything that came in last week, which is good, considering the amount of work we've taken in this week."

"You're going to have to hire more help," Darred said, as he took the large plate of rolls that Jobal offered to him and, placing one on his plate, passed it on to Sola.

"We were talking about that today," Anakin said, looking up from his plate. "We're thinking about bringing Threepio in to the shop more so he can handle some of the routine stuff."

"That should work," Darred nodded, taking a bite of the roll he had placed on his plate. "He gets bored around her during the day anyway, from what I hear. Plus, it'll save on overhead."

"And, not to mention," Ruwee added, looking at Anakin with a grin, "that Anakin fixed that old speeder bike that old man Barrymore said couldn't be fixed."

"You're kidding," Darred laughed, looking across the table at Anakin. "Already?"

"Told you he would," Padmé said, looking up from her plate and smiling slyly at her brother-in-law.

"The best part is," Ruwee continued, "old Barrymore said that he was so sure it couldn't be fixed, that he'd pay us double what we normally charged if he did." He took a long swig from his glass, and then grinned widely. "It'll be worth twice that just to see the look on his face when he comes in tomorrow."

"That's fantastic," Sola exclaimed. "That should be enough to completely finish up the new nursery."

"That's what I was thinking," Ruwee said, looking at Anakin and Padmé across the table, seeing Padmé's face light up at the suggestion. "We'll put all those credits toward what we need, and we'll have it ready in a week or two."

"Well," Jobal said, "that's wonderful. Those babies will be here in a few more weeks, so that couldn't have worked out better."

"It may be sooner," Padmé said, sticking out her tongue playfully and rubbing her stomach. "As much as they've moved around today, I'll be surprised if they can wait that long."

"Get all the sleep you can now, Anakin," Darred sighed, shaking his head as he grinned back at his brother-in-law. "Once they get here, you won't get much for a while."

"Oh, don't be silly," Sola replied, shaking her head. "He'll hold up just fine."

"The sooner, the better," Anakin sighed, smiling warmly at Padmé as she looked up at him. "But not _too_ soon. Whenever they're ready."

"I'm ready for them to get here, too," Pooja said, looking at her aunt with a grin from her seat next to her mother. She was twelve years old now, and the spitting image of her mother when she was her age. "Aunt Padmé said I'm old enough now to help out, and I'm going to."

"I've already got your job all picked out, Pooja," Padmé nodded. "You get the honor of handling the midnight feedings."

Pooja's mouth hung open for a minute, as she looked at her aunt in silence and swallowed, hard and slowly.

"I think your Aunt Padmé's playing with you, Pooja," Sola said to her daughter with a laugh, patting her reassuring on the arm. "I don't think you're quite equipped for that job, yet."

Anakin laughed at his niece as she looked back across the table at Padmé. "That wasn't funny," Pooja said, as Padmé laughed back at her.

"Babies are gross," Ryoo said, looking up from his plate and wrinkling up his ten year old nose, as he sat next to Anakin. "They smell funny."

"So do you," Anakin laughed, turning to his nephew, "but we still love you."

Padmé laughed as she watched her husband suddenly grimace in pain. "Ow," Anakin laughed, as Ryoo kicked him under the table. "Okay, buster," Anakin chuckled. "That's gonna cost you later."

"Yeah, that's what you always say," Ryoo said with a mischievous grin, as he went back to his dinner.

"Behave yourselves, boys," Padmé sighed, as they both turned and looked at her, sheepishly, "or we're going to send you both to bed early."

Anakin turned and looked at her and, raising his eyebrow and grinning mischievously, he turned and looked back at Ryoo. "Quick," he said, leaning down closer to his nephew. "Kick me again."

"_Without_ me," Padmé leaned over and laughed softly in his ear, pinching his arm playfully.

Anakin sat quietly for a moment, and then leaned back over toward Ryoo, very slowly. "Never mind," he said out of the corner of his mouth, and then he sat back up slowly and picked up his fork again, grinning sheepishly back at her.

Ruwee shook his head, slowly. "Some things never change," he sighed, andhe went back to his dinner, as the plates and conversation continued to make their way around the table.

* * *

Padmé leaned quietly against the door frame of Ryoo's bedroom; she folded her arms across her chest, as she looked in and watched as Anakin sat in the floor next to him in the corner of her nephew's room.

The droid was a work in progress, and he looked much like Threepio had so many years ago when she had first met Anakin, yet he was no where near as complete. Ryoo had only been working on this one for a few months, and, with a little help and direction, and a steady supply of spare parts from his uncle's workshop, he was doing a fine job.

The floor was littered with parts, motors, and circuits of all kinds, and she watched quietly as Anakin handed the logic probe to his nephew, and pointed to the small, spinning motor that flashed near the center of the droid's unfinished chest.

"See, right there?" Anakin said, pointing to a small, shiny terminal near the smoothly revolving motor.

"Yep," Ryoo said, nodding his head, as he looked to the spot where his uncle pointed.

"That's the motor circuit," Anakin said. "That's the one that'll control his arms and legs so he can walk. If you've got him wired up right," Anakin said, looking back at his nephew, "when you touch that probe to that circuit, his arms should raise."

"So," Anakin sighed, as Ryoo looked back at him, a little unsure of himself. "Do you think you have him wired up right now?"

"I think so," Ryoo said, his face a little apprehensive.

"Well, then, go ahead," Anakin nodded. "Let's see what happens."

Ryoo reached out, a little shakily, and took a deep breath, as he touched the logic probe to the small, shiny terminal and pressed the button on the probe.

Anakin smiled as, slowly, the droids arms began to lift slowly from their position near the droid's unfinished sides into the air.

"I did it!" Ryoo exclaimed excitedly, turning to look at Anakin with a wide grin. "He works!"

"Of course he does," Anakin laughed back at him, patting him soundly on the back. He smiled as he watched Ryoo release, and then depress the button on the probe, again and again, as the droid's arms waved slowly, up and down.

"Very good, Ryoo," Padmé said brightly, as she clapped her hands and took a step into the room from the doorway where she had been watching them.

Anakin turned his eyes to her, as Ryoo looked up at her excitedly. "Look, Aunt Padmé," he said, his face beaming proudly. "He works!"

"I see that," she nodded, as she took a step closer to Anakin as he stood up, slowly, from his spot on the floor next to Ryoo. "You keep working on him like that," Padmé said, as she took Anakin's hand in hers, "and Threepio and Artoo will have a new friend to help them out in no time."

"Can we see if we can get his speech system to work tomorrow, Uncle Ani?" Ryoo asked, excitedly, as Anakin smiled down at him.

"Sure," Anakin nodded, as Padmé gazed at Anakin fondly, rubbing his back as she stood next to him.

"Cool!" Ryoo said, as he slowly removed the logic probe from the terminal, and watched with a sense of pride as his droid's arms slowly lowered back to its sides.

"Your mother said to tell you it's time for you to get ready for bed, Ryoo," Padmé said. "She'll be in to check on you in a little while. You'd better get your things put away."

"Okay," Ryoo said obediently, as he reached for his small toolbox and started to put away the parts and tools that lay strewn over the floor.

"It's time for Uncle Ani to come to bed, too," Padmé said, squeezing Anakin's arm tightly. "He's had a busy day."

"Okay," Ryoo said again, as he looked up at them with a smile. "G'night, Uncle Ani."

"Goodnight, Ryoo," Anakin replied, as he and Padmé turned and started toward the door.

"Goodnight, Ryoo," Padmé called over her shoulder to her nephew, as he looked up and smiled at her.

"G'night, Aunt Padmé," Ryoo said, and then went back to putting away the last of his tools.

* * *

Anakin leaned back against the soft pillows of their bed, watching her quietly as she sat at her dressing table, brushing her long, brown hair. It was longer now, as she had let it grow out along with his, and it hung almost down to her waist. It was curlier than it used to be, something that Padmé attributed to her current condition, but she liked it, and she wore it down more, letting it hang in loose, thick waves around her shoulders.

"That was very sweet of you to help Ryoo tonight," Padmé said, as she pulled her brush slowly through her hair. "He really likes it when you help him."

"I like helping him," Anakin replied, as he rolled over on his side and propped his head up on his elbow, facing her. "It reminds me of when I built Threepio all those years ago."

"I've noticed that," Padmé grinned, looking back at him in the mirror. "Sometimes, I can't tell which one of you is having more fun," she said, as she laid her brush down on her mirror. "You or him."

"That's easy," Anakin chuckled, as she turned around and looked at him fondly. "I am."

"That's what I thought," she laughed, as she stood up from her chair and walked to the side of the bed. She slipped her robe off of her shoulders and hung it over the chair next to their bed, and then looked at him fondly, as she placed her hands gently on her full, round stomach.

"My nightgown doesn't fit me quite the way it used to," she sighed, seeing the soft, white silk gown stretched across her belly.

She smiled as Anakin leaned toward her and kissed her gently on her little round belly. "I think it fits you better than ever," he said, looking up at her fondly.

"You're sweet," Padmé smiled back at him, as Anakin pulled back the covers and helped her into bed beside him.

Padmé snuggled closely beside him as he pulled the bedclothes up over her, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he settled himself down close beside her, wrapping his strong arms around her.

She looked down, as she felt her stomach touch his body long before the rest of her. "Funny," she laughed, looking back up at him, "I don't remember this being a problem a few months ago."

"What problem?" Anakin laughed softly, as he snuggled closer to her, lifting the covers and looking down at her distended little belly. "I don't see any problems," he said, as he lowered the covers and laid his head back on the pillow beside hers and gazed lovingly at her. He kissed her gently, and then reached down and placed his hand gently on her stomach. He closed his eyes for a moment, and, instinctively, she did the same.

The feeling was magical; they had grown accustomed to each other's familiar, soothing tremor over the years, the ones that they felt in their hearts whenever they were together and, indeed, even when they were apart. Yet now, as Anakin touched the living Force that flowed through her, they felt not only each other's presence, but that of their unborn children as well; four lives, four hearts, beating together in perfect harmony.

They opened their eyes and gazed at each other for a long, quite moment, and then Anakin leaned down and kissed her, long and passionately.

Their lips parted, and Padmé turned and watched as, effortlessly, Anakin raised his hand, and reaching into the Force, turned off the light.

* * *

Obi-Wan fumbled sleepily in the darkness of his bed chamber for the comlink that lay on the table near his bed, chirping loudly.

"Why do they make these things so blasted loud?" he grumbled to himself, as he groped for the device in the darkness. The shrill, high pitch tone wasn't one of the most pleasant ways to be pulled from a peaceful night's sleep.

He found it, finally, and, flopping limply onto his back in his bed, he pressed the small button on the device and opened the com channel.

"Yes," he said, somewhat grumpily, as he lifted the small device to his face.

"_Obi-Wan?_" he heard the familiar voice say, small and tinny through the comlink's speaker. "_This is Mace Windu. Did I wake you?"_

"No, it's all right, Master," Obi-Wan said, lifting himself up and turning on the small lamp that sat on the table next to his bed. The venerable Jedi Master never called him at this hour, unless there was some serious matter that needed his attention. Obi-Wan blinked his eyes in the soft light, and then rubbed them with his free hand, as he tried to wake himself.

_"I'm sorry to wake you, Obi-Wan,"_ Mace said, _"but this is urgent. Can you be at the platform in fifteen minutes?"_

"Of course, Master," Obi-Wan said, as he sat up straighter in his bed, his expression becoming more serious. "Is something wrong?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the comlink. _"It's happened again,"_ Mace said finally, his voice somber and resolute. "_I'll explain on the way. We'll see you shortly."_

Obi-Wan looked at the comlink as it beeped again, and then fell silent. He leaned back on his elbows, thoughtfully, for a long moment and then, tossing the bedclothes to the side, he bolted up and out of his bed.

* * *

The evening sky was heavily overcast, obscuring the light of Coruscant's two larger moons, as they shone hazily through the charcoal colored skies. The wind gusted, somewhat strongly at times, causing the light mist that fell from the angry skies to swirl wildly across the platform, reflected in the bright lights of the buildings around them.

Obi-Wan stood under the awning near the door to the landing platform of his residential complex, and he pulled the hood of his cloak up farther over his head, as he felt another gust of cool, damp wind on his face. He watched as the small transport swung around the side of the building into view and descended quickly toward the platform, the lights of the building reflecting brightly off of its wet, silver hull.

He stepped out from under the awning, and pulling his cloak tight around him, he started quickly across the platform toward the ship as it settled onto the dark surface, its breaking thrusters casting huge swirls of moisture into the air around it.

The door slid open, quickly, as Obi-Wan approached the transport, and, taking hold of the handle just inside the door, he pulled himself quickly up and into the cabin.

Mace Windu nodded to the young pilot at the controls; reaching over and pressing a button on the console beside him, he pulled back on the controls, smoothly. As the pilot guided the ship back up into the dark, misty skies, the door slid closed quickly, and Mace Windu turned his attention to Obi-Wan.

"I'm sorry to have to call you out in such inhospitable weather, Obi-Wan," Mace said, as he and Jedi Master Ki-Ati Mundi watched Obi-Wan toss the hood of his cloak back onto his shoulders, and take the seat in front of them.

"It's quite all right, Master," Obi-Wan said, as he shook his arms, trying to shed at least some of the water from his dark brown cloak, and then turned his attention to the two Jedi Masters who sat before him. "I'm just sorry that you've had to."

"As are we," Ki-Ati Mundi said, solemnly.

Obi-Wan lifted his hand to his face, and wiped the water from his thick beard slowly and thoughtfully; he was ready for some answers.

"You said it's happened again, Master," he said, turning his attention to Mace Windu. "Are you certain?"

"Yes," Mace said, casting his eyes down toward the floor of the transport for a moment, and then looking back up at Obi-Wan. "They were found just a few hours ago."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He took a long, deep breath, and then looked back at Mace Windu, a sad, pained expression on his face. "Who?" he said, solemnly.

"Saesee Tin," Master Mundi said quietly, nodding his long, white bearded head slowly, "and his apprentice."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, slowly, and then turned his eye's downward again. They all sat in silence, as their transport began to descend slowly toward the city below them.

* * *

Obi-Wan stood quietly in the lift as they ascended slowly into the large building, his mind rolling the events of recent weeks over and over, trying to make some sense of what was happening.

This was the third such incident in as many weeks; the first was thought to be an ambush, the work of bounty hunters or some other criminals. But now, it had happened three times. Each case was almost identical; a Jedi and his apprentice, slain in their own quarters, in the same manner.

For years, the Jedi Masters had lived in the Temple dormitories; not until two years ago had they changed that tradition. The Clone Wars had lasted far longer than any of those on the Council had anticipated; that, coupled with their losses on Geonosis almost four years ago, and the increasing presence of the Dark Side, had led the Council to decide that it would be best to disperse throughout the general population, thereby making it more difficult to target the Jedi in large groups. It was a change that had serve them well.

Until recently.

The lift doors opened, and Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, and Ki-Ati Mundi stepped through the door and made their way down the long, ornate hallway. Midway down the hall, a young Jedi, his padawan braid evident by his right ear, stood watch near the door to one of the living quarters.

Mace Windu nodded to the young padawan who stood near the doorway of the quarters as they reached the door and, bowing reverently to the three Jedi Masters who approached him, he pressed the control panel on the side of the door and, as it slid slowly open, he stepped to the side, allowing them to enter the room.

Obi-Wan tossed his hood back onto his shoulders as he, Mace, and Ki-Ati Mundi entered the quarters.

"The best we can tell," Mace Windu said, as he turned around and looked at Obi-Wan, his expression deeply thoughtful, "is that they were attacked approximately three hours ago."

Obi-Wan looked carefully around the large, spacious living quarters. There had obviously been a struggle; furniture and other objects lay strewn around the room haphazardly, and several of the walls bore the deep, telltale burns where a the blade of a light saber had struck them.

"Attacked by whom?" Obi-Wan asked, thoughtfully, as he turned his eyes back to his fellow Jedi Masters.

"That," Ki-Ati Mundi said, lifting his large eyebrows thoughtfully, "is the great mystery."

"Just as in the other two attacks," Mace said, as he turned and walked slowly toward the back of the large living quarters, "they were found in the back room of their quarters."

Obi-Wan and Ki-Ati Mundi followed him, and, as Mace reached the door, he stepped to the side, and motioned for him to enter.

Obi-Wan felt his heart twinge as his eyes took in the site before him as he entered the dimly lit room. Again, the room was in shambles; the walls and draperies were burned and charred from numerous saber slashes, and the smell of charred material filled the once neat and sparsely decorated room.

There, sprawled across one of the beds, lay the body of Saesee Tin, and, near the wall not far from him, that of his apprentice, Zan Jalar.

"It would appear," Mace Windu said, as he watched Obi-Wan walk slowly across the room and look forlornly at Tin's body, "that they were attempting to retreat farther into their quarters from their attacker when they were killed."

Obi-Wan gathered his cloak in his hand, as he sat down slowly on the bed next to Saesee Tin's body. "Master Tin was a powerful swordsman," he said, turning and looking over his shoulder at his two companions. "It would have taken a strong foe to defeat him, much less cause him to retreat."

"Agreed," Ki-Ati Mundi said, nodding his head slowly.

Obi-Wan looked back at Tin's body; very gently, he reached over and lifted the edge of his cloak, pulling it back so that he could see the fallen Jedi's tunic. He took a deep breath, as he saw the dark, charred material on his tunic; just as in the other four deaths, he and his apprentice had been killed by a single, clean saber thrust through the chest.

"Their weapons?" Obi-Wan said, turning back and looking at his companions.

"Taken," Master Mundi said with a nod. "Just as before."

Obi-Wan nodded, and then stood up, slowly, as he looked at the two fallen Jedi before him one more time, and then followed his two companions back out into the main living area.

The three of them walked over and gathered near the window, drops of moisture glinting in the darkness as they rolled slowly down its translucent surface. They stood quietly, looking out over the dark, foggy city for a long time.

Finally, Mace Windu spoke. "Three Jedi," he said, his eyes looking out thoughtfully over the city, "and their three apprentices, all killed in the same manner."

He turned and looked back at Obi-Wan and Ki-Ati Mundi. "One thing is certain," he said, a deeply somber expression on his dark skinned face. "This is no coincidence."

"Whoever or whatever is behind these attacks," Ki-Ati Mundi said, looking at Obi-Wan intently, "is extremely skilled in the Jedi arts."

"Since no Jedi would consider committing such an atrocity," he continued, turning his eyes toward Mace Windu, his deeply logical, binary brain at work, "it is a forgone conclusion that this must be the work of the Dark Lord of the Sith, or his apprentice."

They all nodded in agreement, as they stood there, quietly. "Obi-Wan," Mace said, looking at his friend with keen interest, "has your investigation into the identity of the Sith Lord turned up any leads?"

"Nothing of significance, Master," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head slowly. "Surely nothing that would help us make any sense of these slayings."

"What of Count Dooku's whereabouts?" Ki-Ati Mundi asked, turning his face to regard Obi-Wan.

"Nothing as well, Master," Obi-Wan said, somewhat dejectedly. "He hasn't been seen or heard from in nearly four years."

"Unless we are able to determine who is behind these attacks," Mace said after a long pause, turning his eyes back out over the city, "more Jedi will be killed."

They stood quietly for a long time; finally, Mace Windu turned and started to make his way toward the door, as his companions followed closely behind him. Obi-Wan turned and looked back into the room one last time and, taking a deep breath, he turned and followed the two Jedi Masters back out into the hallway and back to their transport that waited on the platform above.

* * *

Mace Windu sat quietly, deep in thought, as he watched the massive city passed beneath them, as they made their way back to Obi-Wan's residential complex. The three Jedi Masters had sat in complete silence since they had boarded their transport, as the grim reality of what was happening began to sink in.

"Obi-Wan," Mace said finally, turning his eyes from the window next to his seat on the transport, and looking at him with a serious expression, "long ago, you told me that Anakin confided in you that, as he left for Naboo, he sensed something that troubled him."

Obi-Wan looked up, as he sat quietly across from the two Jedi Masters, his elbows resting on his knees. "Yes, Master," he said, as Ki-Ati Mundi turned and regarded him, intently. "He did. It was when I first visited him and Padmé at their home."

"Was he able to tell you what it was that he sensed?" Ki-Ati asked, looking at Obi-Wan with a keen sense of interest.

"No, Master," Obi-Wan replied, thoughtfully, folding his hands in his lap. "Only that it was something dark, something deeply troubling. He said he sensed it, just for a moment, as he was leaving the Senate Republic building, preparing to return home."

Mace turned and looked quietly out of the window for a long moment. "The Force was extremely strong with Anakin then," Mace said finally, as he turned and regarded his companions. "It is possible that he was able to sense something that we could not."

"Master Yoda has told us that the Force has been guiding his thoughts more and more to Anakin in recent weeks," Ki-Ati Mundi said, looking intently at Mace Windu. "If the prophecy is true, Obi-Wan's former apprentice may be able to help us."

"How so, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, regarding Ki-Ati Mundi curiously.

"You say his powers have continued to increase?" Ki-Ati continued, regarding Obi-Wan with keen interest.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied with a nod. "They have, very much so. The last time I was with him, I had the opportunity to spar with him." He looked down and smiled, and then looked back up at his companions. "Anakin defeated me, easily."

Ki-Ati Mundi and Mace Windu looked at each other quietly, for a long moment, as the pilot began to bring the transport down toward the landing platform near Obi-Wan's place of residence.

"We are under attack, and time is against us," Mace Windu finally said, quietly, as he turned and looked thoughtfully at his companions. "We must learn the identity, and the plans, of the Sith Lord quickly, or more Jedi will suffer the same fate."

Mace took a deep, thoughtful breath, and turned and looked out the window beside him as the landing thrusters began to kick up huge plumes of moisture as their transport settled gently on to the platform.

"Obi-Wan," Mace said, turning his eyes back toward him, "go to Naboo and speak with Anakin. See if he has sensed anything unusual in recent weeks."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said, nodding thoughtfully, as the door to the transport began to open, slowly. "I will."

"Go quickly, then," Mace said, "And in secret. If the Sith Lord is watching us, we do not want to draw any attention to Anakin or his family."

"Understood, Master," Obi-Wan said, standing up and tossing his hood back over his long, golden hair. "I'll leave at once."

"Go carefully," Ki-Ati Mundi said, as Obi-Wan bowed slightly to them both. "And may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with all of us, Master," Obi-Wan said, and then he stepped quickly out of the transport, and made his way back toward the building. He stopped, midway there, and turned and watched as the transport's door closed and, firing its thrusters, it lifted into the air and then turned and disappeared off into the darkness.

Obi-Wan stood quietly, for a long moment, as the mist turned into a slow, cold rain, and then he turned and walked back toward the building's entrance.

* * *

It had been four long years since he had come to this place, and, except for the few times when his Master had summoned him back, he had remained here, faithfully overseeing the task which he had been assigned. His presence had been necessary, for this task had proven difficult; indeed, more so than any he had undertaken in recent memory.

His boots echoed loudly on the hard, metal floor as he made his way through the long connecting corridor to his quarters, far from the main facility. As he approached the heavy, metal door, he stopped, quickly; as he did so, his long, dark cloak swirled around his boots as he reached up with his hand and pressed the control switch.

The door opened slowly, with a loud hiss, and he stepped quickly into the dimly lit room and, turning back toward the door through which he had come, he pressed the control switch again, closing the door behind him.

He walked quickly to the small, round table near the center of the room. As he reached underneath his dark black cloak, the shining, silver hilt of his light saber could be seen, swaying gently, as he produced the small signal encrypter from its place in his belt.

He took a deep breath, his bearded face deeply thoughtful; he seemed almost nervous as he placed the encrypter in the slot near the holographic transmitter and then, pausing just a moment, he pressed the button on the control panel and engaged the transmitter. As the transmitter hummed to life, the flickering, green hued image began to take shape above the holographic emitter in the center of the small table.

Count Dooku bowed, reverently, as the hooded image of Darth Sidious appeared steadily on the holographic projector in front of him. "Master Sidous," he said, casting his eyes downward and then, after a pause, looking up slowly.

"_The appointed time approaches, Lord Tyrannus,"_ Sidious replied, his face shrouded in darkness under his dark hood. "_What progress do you have to report?"_

"Everything is proceeding on schedule, my Lord," Dooku replied. "We should be ready within the week."

"_Excellent,"_ Sidious replied, a sinister smile spreading over his face. "_I will keep the Jedi busy here on Coruscant. Report to me, directly, as soon as you are ready."_

"Understood, my Lord," Count Dooku replied, nodding his head affirmatively. "I believe, "he added, "that you will be quite pleased with the results."

"_I hope so, Lord Tyrannus,_" the Dark Lord responded. _"I shall await your arrival in a few days, then._"

"Yes, my Lord," Dooku replied, nodding reverently, as the Dark Lord's image slowly faded from the projector.

Count Dooku took a long, deep breath and, removing the signal encrypter and placing it back in his belt, he turned and walked to the long control console near the wall. He pressed a button near the display and, after a moment, the image of a Kaminoan scientist appeared on the display.

"Y_es, Count?"_ the tall, thin Kaminoan asked, quietly.

"Increase the level of difficulty in the training program," Dooku replied, flatly. "We must be ready within the week."

_"Understood, Count,_" the Kaminoan replied with a nod, and the display went dark as Dooku pressed the switch once again.

He looked up, thoughtfully, and stood in silence for a long moment. Then, turning back toward the door, Dooku made his way back out of the room and started back down the hallway from which he had come.

* * *

Obi-Wan turned around and tossed the tunic and robe into his travel case, and then slowly closed the lid and fastened it shut.

He stood quietly for a moment, fingering the latch on the case's lid thoughtfully, and then, slowly, he sat down on the bed beside it, folding his hands in his lap, as he took a deep, thoughtful breath.

He didn't like this. This situation was growing exceptionally dangerous; whoever or whatever was responsible for these attacks had killed three seasoned Jedi Masters, and their padawans, in three weeks, silently and efficiently.

He was deeply concerned and troubled, of that much he was certain. Even if the Council had not requested it, he thought to himself, he would have, quite likely, elected to travel to Naboo and visit Anakin anyway.

Obi-Wan sighed, deeply; Anakin was so different now, so unlike the anxious, angry young padawan he had known four years ago. His oneness with the Force, and the peace and contentment that flowed through him, had made him an extremely powerful Jedi Knight, and he found his visits with Anakin and Padmé to be even more calming and refreshing as those he enjoyed with Yoda.

He was long overdue for a visit with them, anyway. Indeed, he hadn't been back to visit since he had received word from Anakin that he and Padmé were expecting. He had intended to visit sooner, as soon as the situation would allow, but his recent appointment to the Council had kept him busy. Anakin needed to be apprised of this dangerous situation, anyway; he was a Jedi Knight, after all.

Obi-Wan stood up and reached for the comlink in his belt. He turned the dial and, pressing the button, waited for Arfour to respond.

He heard the beep, and the series of telltale whistles on the other end of the comlink. "Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he picked up his case from the bed, "get the ship ready. We're going to Naboo."

Arfour whistled in reply, and Obi-Wan turned and walked toward the door. He reached over and pressed the switch, turning off the lights, and then closed the door behind him, making his way up to the landing platform above.


	2. Old Friends Reunited

**Chapter 2: old Friends Reunited**

Obi-Wan brought the ship down through the thick clouds above the city; the bright sunlight glistened on the surface of the large, blue lake that lay just to the east of the city center. As they dropped quickly toward the bustling city below them, he pressed the mic switch on his control yoke.

"Arfour," he said, looking out over the green, sprawling countryside as they dropped toward the planet's surface, "have we received clearance to land yet?"

Arfour signaled to him from his position in the rear of the sleek, red and gold fighter. Obi-Wan looked down at the display, as the onboard translator displayed the little droid's message.

"Excellent," he nodded, settling himself back into his seat. "Take the helm, and bring us into the city's main spaceport."

It only took a few moments for Arfour to cross the city to the small spaceport and, quickly and smoothly, the little droid fired the landing thrusters, and dropped the ship neatly into one of the docking stations and powered down the engines.

Obi-Wan pressed the button on his console, and, as the cockpit over the small, two man fighter slid back and locked, he hopped out onto the wing and down to the ground beside his ship.

"Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he walked to the storage compartment near the wing and retrieved his travel case, "stay with the ship, and contact me immediately should you receive any transmissions from the Council, understood?"

Arfour swung his sensors toward his master, whistling and beeping in reply. "Very good," Obi-Wan said. "I'll be at the coordinates I gave you. Contact me if you need me."

Arfour beeped again, and then turned his attention back to their ship, as Obi-Wan turned and walked toward the small, but bustling, spaceport's main entrance.

* * *

The small village of Venecia, where Anakin and Padmé lived, was a beautiful place; everything about it was simple, and brought him a warm feeling of peace and serenity every time he visited. It had only taken him a few moments to find the nearest rental station, and, as quickly and easily as usual, he had rented a small speeder and was on his way in no time.

It was mid afternoon; the journey from Coruscant to Naboo had taken him just about eight hours, in the small, long range fighter. It was reliable, and amazingly quick when it needed to be, but its hyperdrive unit wasn't operating as well as it should be, so the trip had taken several hours longer than it usually would have. He would have to see about having that unit replaced, as soon as the current situation settled down and allowed it.

He took a deep breath, as he made his way along the busy streets of the city, toward the small workshop. He smiled to himself; it had been a long time since he had made a surprise visit, and Anakin was long overdue for one.

* * *

"You know, Ruwee," the short, elderly man with fiery red hair said, reaching into his pocket and producing a large number if credits in his wrinkled, well weathered hand, "if it were anybody but you and Anakin, I'd be convinced that you'd pulled a switch on me somehow."

He looked back up at Ruwee, regarding him slyly with one eye, the other squeezed tightly shut, as he took a handful of credits and handed them to Ruwee, who stood smiling broadly at him.

"Now, now, Barrymore," Ruwee sighed, his eyes twinkling as he took the considerable sum from the old man's hand, "you know Anakin and I would never do anything like that."

"I know," the old man replied, laughing under his breath. "If I did, you wouldn't have that handful of credits."

The old man turned and patted the speeder bike with a broad smile. "It was worth it, though," Barrymore said, regarding his newly repaired speeder fondly. "I've had this old thing for years. Would have been a shame to have to toss it on the scrap pile."

"Tell Anakin I said thanks much," the old man said, turning to Ruwee once more. "And I hope his lovely wife's doing well. How long till those two kits arrive?"

"A few more weeks," old man Barrymore heard Anakin shout from the back of the workshop. He looked at Ruwee with a wide grin, revealing the several teeth that were missing from his smile. "And you're welcome, Mister Barrymore," Anakin shouted, again. "I'm glad I could fix it for you."

"Good luck to you, Anakin," the old man called with a laugh. "You're gonna need it when them young ones arrive."

Ruwee shook his head and laughed as Anakin shouted from the back again. "Thanks, Mister Barrymore. I sure will."

"I'll see you soon, Naberrie," the old man said, tossing his hat back onto his head. "And thanks again. Put those credits to some good use."

"Thank you, Barrymore," Ruwee said, placing the credits into the small case under the desk and looking back to the old man with a grin. "We will, indeed. It's all going toward Padmé's nursery."

"Money well spent, indeed," the old man nodded, and he turned around, took hold of the speeder's handlebars, and began to push it toward the front door of their shop.

"Thank you, kind sir," the old man said, as the hooded gentleman opened the front door and held it for him, allowing him to push the bike out and into the street.

"You're welcome," the brown cloaked gentleman said pleasantly, and, tossing his hood back onto his shoulders, Obi-Wan closed the door behind him and walked slowly toward the counter where Ruwee stood, counting the credits he had just placed in the case.

"Can I help you, sir?" Ruwee asked, his eyes still focused on the credits he was counting.

"Yes, I hope so," Obi-Wan replied, and as he approached the counter, he reached down and took his light saber from his belt and placed it on the counter so that Ruwee could see it. "I'm really hoping to find someone that can fix this thing for me," he said, as he watched Ruwee, with an expression of surprise and shock, turn his wide eyes toward the weapon the Jedi Master had just laid on the table.

Ruwee looked up and smiled widely as he recognized the golden haired, bearded Jedi who stood before him. "Well, bless my soul," he chuckled, reaching over the table and taking Obi-Wan's hand, shaking it tightly. "Anakin!" Ruwee called loudly, over his shoulder. There's somebody out here to see you."

"Hello, Mister Naberrie," Obi-Wan said with a laugh, smiling broadly. He looked up, just in time to see Anakin walk into the doorway and look up from the part he held in his hands.

"Obi-Wan!" Anakin exclaimed, and Ruwee watched as Anakin walked quickly out from behind the counter and past Obi-Wan's outstretched hand.

"Haha," Obi-Wan laughed, patting Anakin's back soundly as Anakin threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly. "It's good to see you too, Anakin."

"It's wonderful to see you, Master," Anakin beamed at him, leaning back and taking Obi-Wan's shoulders in his hands. "When did you get here? I didn't know you were coming."

"I'm sorry for the unexpected visit, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, a little sheepishly. "It was somewhat unplanned," he said, apologetically. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, Master," Anakin replied, shaking his head. "You know you're always welcome, anytime. Padmé will be thrilled to see you."

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin's long hair, and tussled it roughly. "Your hair's getting almost as long as mine, my old padawan," he chuckled, as Anakin stepped back and laughed.

"Yes, well," Anakin laughed, running his fingers through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. "That's her idea. She likes it that way."

"Well, that's all that matters, now isn't it?" Obi-Wan said with a laugh, his face brightening. "How's our expectant mother doing, anyway?"

"She's doing just fine, Master," Anakin replied; he took his hands and held them out in front of his stomach. "She's a little, uhhm, _rounder_ than the last time you saw her," he said with a laugh.

"I would imagine so," Obi-Wan laughed in reply. "I know she's as beautiful as always. I can't wait to see her."

"Well, there's no need to wait then," Ruwee said. "Anakin, you two head on back to the house. We're caught up here this afternoon. I'll close up the shop and catch up with you shortly."

"Are you sure, Dad?" Anakin asked.

"I don't want to be an inconvenience," Obi-Wan said, raising his hands ahd shaking his head.

"No inconvenience at all," Ruwee said, motioning toward the door. "Anakin's more than earned his keep today, anyway," he said, tossing a wink to his son-in-law. "You two go on ahead and I'll see you soon."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Anakin shrugged, as he patted Obi-Wan on the shoulder, and Ruwee watched as the two of them walked, talking happily with each other, toward the front of the shop and out the front door.

* * *

Threepio walked stiffly out of the greenhouse near the garden, carrying a large flat of new plants in his metal hands. He had fetched them, as Jobal had requested, as she was spending the day working in her garden, and this was the third flat he had retrieved for her.

He was halfway across the garden walk toward the gate, when he heard the speeder approaching, and he watched as it turned the corner toward the house, and then slowed to a stop just a short distance from him.

"You're home early, Master Ani," Threepio called cheerfully, as he watched Anakin hop out of the speeder in his usual fashion.

"I am, Threepio," Anakin said, and he nodded toward his companion. "And I've brought a friend."

Threepio turned as he watched the cloaked figure step from the speeder, and then toss his heavy brown hood back onto his shoulders. "Hello, Threepio," Obi-Wan grinned, as he and Anakin walked around the speeder toward him.

"Bless my circuits," Threepio exclaimed, excitedly, "Master Kenobi! What a pleasant surprise indeed!"

Obi-Wan grimaced a bit, lifting his finger to his lips as he walked up to Threepio and patted his metal shoulder. "Not too loud, Threepio," Obi-Wan said. "We thought we might surprise your mistress."

"I understand perfectly, Master Kenobi," Threepio said with a nod, lowering his voice considerably. "Miss Padmé will be so pleased to see you."

"Where is she, Threepio?" Anakin asked.

"She and Miss Sola are in the sitting room," Threepio said, cheerfully. "At least they were, a few moments ago."

"Thanks, Threepio," Anakin said, and, placing his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, the two of them made their way quietly around the side of the house toward the kitchen door.

Threepio watched them for a moment as Anakin opened the door and, stepping inside, closed the door behind them, and the tall, silver droid turned and went back to his business, taking the tray of flowers to the garden as Jobal had requested.

* * *

Padmé looked up from her book, immediately sensing Anakin's presence as he walked into the kitchen. "Anakin's home," she said, looking across the room to where Sola sat across from her. "I wonder what he's doing home so early?"

"Well," she heard him say, as she turned and looked over her shoulder at him as he leaned against the kitchen doorway with a grin, "I thought I'd bring you a little surprise this afternoon."

"What kind of surprise?" Padmé asked, looking at him with a broad smile and a puzzled, but happy, expression.

"This one," Anakin said and, stepping into the living room, he reached into the kitchen and pulled Obi-Wan through the doorway so that she could see him.

Padmé and Sola both smiled brightly as Obi-Wan started across the room towards them. "Hello, Padmé," he said with a laugh, his face beaming brightly.

"Master Kenobi!" Padmé exclaimed, as she and Sola both stood up as he and Anakin walked toward them. Anakin watched quietly as she hugged his former master tightly. "What a wonderful surprise," she said, as she leaned back and looked at him. "Anakin didn't tell me you were coming."

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, "that's because he didn't know I was. It was something of a surprise for him as well."

Obi-Wan turned and smiled at Sola, as he placed his hand on Padmé's shoulders. "Hello, Sola," he said, and she took his hand as he offered it to her. "I see you've been taking good care of our expectant mother, here."

"Oh, no," Sola replied, nodding at Anakin. "That's all Anakin's doing," she said. "He won't let any of the rest of us have a chance."

Obi-Wan laughed and looked back at Padmé, taking a step back so that he could see her better. He looked down and smiled widely, as he saw her round stomach underneath the pale blue dress that she wore. "You look absolutely radiant, Padmé," Obi-Wan said. "How are you feeling?"

"Just fine, Master Kenobi," Padmé said, as she placed her hands on her stomach and looked back at her husband fondly. "Anakin's been taking good care of me."

"As well he should," Obi-Wan chuckled.

"Let me take your cloak, Master," Anakin said, and he took it and placed it on the chair next to the door as Obi-Wan tossed it off of his shoulders and handed it to him.

"So," Obi-Wan sighed, taking a seat in the chair next to Sola as Anakin came and sat down on the couch next to Padmé, "tell me everything that's been going on with you two since the last time I saw you. I want to know everything."

* * *

Count Dooku turned his attention from the control panel in front of him toward the flashing red light near the communications console. He reached over and pressed the button next to it, and turned his eyes back toward the data on the screen in front of him.

"Yes," he said, his voice betraying his irritation at the intrusion, somewhat, as the channel opened. "What is it?"

_"I'm sorry to disturb you, Count,"_ the Kaminoan on the other end of the channel said, apologetically, "_but we have just received an urgent transmission."_

"From whom?" Count Dooku asked, looking up from the display in front of him with a rapt, attentive expression.

"_Master Sidious,"_ the Kaminoan said, quietly. "_He commands that you make contact with him immediately."_

Dooku sat quietly for a moment, and then reached over and placed his hand next to the button on the communications console. "Very well," he said, and, as he pressed the button under his fingers, the channel beeped and fell silent.

This was highly unusual, Count Dooku thought to himself, as he stood up from the console in his quarters and walked across his room to the holographic communications projector. His master had already contacted him, indeed, only the day before; it was a rare occasion, indeed, when his dark, mysterious master contacted him twice in such a short time.

He secured the channel with his signal encrypter, as always, and then activated the beacon. He took a seat in front of the projector and sat quietly, deep in thought, as he waited for his master's reply.

He heard the telltale beep a few moments later as the channel opened, and, as the lights in the room automatically began to dim slowly, he stood up and watched as the image of his hooded master appeared on the project before him.

"Master Sidious," Dooku replied, bowing reverently. "How may I serve you?"

"_Our plans have changed, Lord Tyrannus,"_ Darth Sidious said, regarding his apprentice carefully as he stood before him.

Count Dooku looked at his master, somewhat confused, as Sidious continued. _"The Jedi are weak, and the war is taking its toll on them. The time for our attack has come."_

_"The Jedi will soon receive news that General Grievous has, on my orders, taken Supreme Chancellor Palpatine prisoner,"_ Darth Sidious said, as Dooku listened intently. "_You are to rendezvous with Grievous aboard the Invisible Hand at Coruscant. We shall inform the Separatists that you will take possession of the Chancellor and deliver him to them on Mustafar."_

"_General Grievous has left a calling card for the Jedi that they will not be able to resist,"_ Darth Sidious continued. "_The beginning of their end has come."_

Count Dooku took a long, deep breath; even for Darth Sidious, this was a significant change of plans. He had been preparing for a slow escalation of their plan, but this news would certainly incite the Jedi to action; this was a bold move, indeed.

He nodded, as he turned his attention back to his master's image. "Understood, my Lord," Dooku said, bowing slightly. "And what of our apprentice?"

"_The time has come for him to prove himself,"_ Sidious said, regarding Count Dooku with keen interest. _"Bring him with you, immediately, and rendezvous with General Grievous. I will contact you when you arrive."_

"Yes, my Master," Count Dooku said, bowing as the transmission faded slowly from view.

He stood quietly for a long moment, and then walked to the communications console, pressing the button next to the display again. He looked down, his face deeply troubled, as he waited for a response from the other end.

_"Yes, Count?"_ a voice answered from the other end.

"Get him ready, and meet me at my ship in fifteen minutes," Count Dooku said. "We are leaving for Coruscant immediately."

"_Understood, Count,"_ the voice on the other end replied obediently, and then the channel beeped and went silent again.

Count Dooku stood up, taking a long, pensive deep breath, and stood quietly in the center of his chambers for a long time, and then turned and walked through the door and down the hall to the hangar where his ship awaited him.

* * *

Obi-Wan sat down on the bench across from Anakin and Padmé in the garden, just as the evening sun began to slip slowly toward the horizon. It had been a long time, indeed, since he had enjoyed such a feast as the one that Anakin's family had prepared for him.

"How do you stay so thin, Anakin?" Obi-Wan groaned, as he patted his stomach and leaned back against the bench. He was stuffed; pleasantly so, but stuffed, nonetheless. "If I ate like that every day, I'd be the size of a gondark by now."

"The way he eats, I'll never know," Padmé sighed, shaking her head as she cuddled close beside Anakin on the bench. "Mom says he's got the metabolism of an Andarian termite."

"He must have," Obi-Wan laughed, and he took a long, deep breath, taking in the sweet aroma of the flowers in Jobal's garden. "You're mother should be very proud of her handiwork, Padmé," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "I believe that this is the most beautiful garden in the galaxy."

"I'm sure she'll be pleased to hear you say that, Master Kenobi," Padmé smiled in reply. "She spends a lot of time on it."

"So," Obi-Wan said, as they all sat enjoying the cool evening air, "how's the business going?"

"Really good," Anakin nodded. "We've been staying busy, and business is really picking up."

"That's wonderful," Obi-Wan replied. "I'm glad things are going so well for both of you."

"How have things been with you, Master?" Anakin asked, his expression becoming more serious. "And how are things in the Republic?"

Obi-Wan took a deep, thoughtful breath. "Well," he sighed, "it's been difficult to tell. The skirmishes with the Separatist's droid armies have been increasing, lately."

"Has the war not slacked off any, Master Kenobi?" Padmé asked, her face revealing her concern. She couldn't help but be; she had served to protect the Republic for so long, it pained her heart to see it threatened, especially for so long. The Clone Wars had lasted far longer than even she had ever expected.

"Sadly, no," Obi-Wan said, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. "Quite the opposite; they've been growing bolder lately, launching more attacks, in more places," Obi-Wan said, looking at them thoughtfully. "It's getting hard to keep up," Obi-Wan said, leaning back against the bench again. "We've got Jedi spread all over the quadrant, in command of battalions of clone troopers, but we're spread very thin at the moment."

Obi-Wan took another deep breath. "And, to make matters worse," Obi-Wan said, his face deeply thoughtful, "we've got another problem, a very serious one."

Anakin leaned forward, his expression becoming more serious. "Actually," Obi-Wan continued, "that's one of the reasons I'm here. The Council asked me to come and talk to you."

"What's going on, Master?" Anakin asked, as Padmé looked at Obi-Wan, just as concerned.

"In the past three weeks," Obi-Wan said, looking at them thoughtfully, "six Jedi have been killed."

"In battle?" Padmé asked, quietly.

"No," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head slowly. "Silently, in their own quarters. Three Jedi Knights and their apprentices," he said, looking up at Anakin as he listened intently. "They were all killed with a single saber strike through the heart."

"Saber strike?" Anakin asked, looking at his master with a serious expression. "The Sith?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "That's what we suspect."

Anakin sat quietly, as Obi-Wan continued. "That's what the Council wanted me to talk to you about, Anakin," he said. "We've been unable to find any serious leads as to the identity of the Sith Lord since we started looking for him four years ago."

"You told me long ago, that as you were leaving the Senate Building that day," Obi-Wan said, as he looked at his young friend, "that you sensed something that troubled you. Do you have any better idea of what it was?"

"Not really, Master," Anakin said, looking up at Obi-Wan and shaking his head. "But I do know that it was deeply rooted in the Dark Side of the Force."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, slowly, and sat quietly for a moment. "Have you sensed anything else at all, since then or recently?"

Anakin sat back against the bench, as Padmé placed her arm around his and watched her husband with keen interest as he sat, thoughtfully, for a long moment. "Sometimes," Anakin said, looking back at Obi-Wan, "when I go down for my morning exercises, I've felt something that's troubled me. It's usually after I've finished practicing, and I'm resting."

"The best way I know to describe it," Anakin continued, thoughtfully, "is a feeling of dark betrayal. It's the same thing I felt that day in the Senate Building, but stronger. It never lasts long, but when I've felt it, it's been very overpowering."

"Anakin always tell me when he's sensed it, Master Kenobi," Padmé said, turning her eyes toward Obi-Wan. "The troubling part about it is," she continued, "is that almost every time, within a day or two, we get word that something terrible has happened in the Republic."

"The last time it happened," Padmé continued, "was the time that the Separatists destroyed those colonies on Yavin IV."

"Almost ten thousand civilians and troopers lost their lives in that attack," Obi-Wan said, looking at Anakin thoughtfully. He sat quietly for a moment, and then looked back up at his young friend as he sat across from him, deep in thought. "When was the last time you sensed this, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at Anakin, a look of deep concern on his face.

Anakin sat quietly for a moment, and then turned and looked at Padmé for a long time. She nodded quietly to him, and he turned and looked back at Obi-Wan.

"This morning," Anakin said, quietly. "Just after I finished my exercises."

Obi-Wan took a long, deep breath, and leaned back against the back of the bench, looking out into the sky, as the evening stars began to sparkle above them.

* * *

The morning's sunlight was barely beginning to filter through the windows of their bedroom, as Anakin stood, quietly buttoning his tunic, next to their bed and gazing at her fondly.

She was sleeping, very peacefully, her arm tucked under her pillow, and he leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek. She sighed softly as he gently brushed her hair with his hand, and then he turned and walked softly across their room to the dresser.

Being careful to be quiet, as he usually did as he prepared to get up for his morning exercises, he slowly opened the top drawer of their dresser. He pulled the clothes in the drawer toward him and there, near the back, he pressed a small switch, and a false back in the drawer dropped down, revealing a small compartment in the back. There, inside the compartment, side by side, lay two identical light sabers, and he took them and placed them, one at a time, on either side of his weapon belt.

He closed the drawer quietly, being careful not to wake Padmé, and then, looking back at her fondly one more time, he carefully opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door quietly behind him.

* * *

Anakin placed a breakfast muffin in his teeth, as he opened to door to the garden patio with one hand, his cup in the other, and stepped out onto the patio, closing the door behind him. He reached up, taking the muffin from his mouth, less a large bite, and took a long, deep breath of the cool morning air. He munched contentedly, taking a sip from his cup, as he walked slowly through the garden and down the garden path toward the meadow.

This was his morning routine, as it had been for many years; indeed, Padmé had gently prodded and encouraged him to keep up with his exercises, and he had faithfully done so. _It's just as much a part of your life as I am, _she would tell him, although he knew she knew otherwise. Yet, he knew in his heart that it was just one more way that she told him, in not so many words, that she loved him, and everything about him, just as he loved her.

He smiled as he saw the black, rectangular case sitting on the ground as he neared his exercise area at the far end of the meadow. Threepio had faithfully placed it there for him, as he did every day that it wasn't raining, and it was always there waiting for him.

Anakin sat down on the ground next to the box for a moment and, finishing the last few bites of his muffin, he looked out at the river, as it flowed slowly through the meadow. He watched the river quietly for a few moments and then, taking a long sip from his cup, he placed it on the ground near the box and stood up, dusting off his pants, and then reached down and opened the case.

Two small, shiny practice remotes rested in the case, and Anakin pressed the switch on one of them and, humming softly, it began to rise slowly into the air in front of him. He pushed it, gently, toward the river, and it floated a few feet from him, hovering quietly. He turned and activated the second remote and, in like fashion, pushed it toward the other, and then walked and took his place quietly in the middle of his exercise area.

He reached out, touching a remote gently with each hand, and pushed them out to his sides, equidistant from him, and then closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath.

Over the years, Anakin had found it less and less challenging, practicing with a single remote. He had added a second, increasing the difficulty significantly, and he had modified their abilities; they could fire faster, and move quicker, than standard practice remotes; and, as an added incentive, he had increased the power of the small laser emitters, thereby making a mistake that much more painful.

He had built new sabers, as part of his training, just a few months ago. He had obtained the necessary parts and Obi-Wan had provided him with the crystals that he needed, and he had worked tirelessly on them for several weeks, between his responsibilities at home and at the workshop. What pleased him most, though, was that he had worked on the alignment of the crystals relentlessly, and his skill, patience, and craftsmanship had resulted in a blade color that was truly rare indeed.

He had spent the last several years working on his saber technique; he had become exceptional skilled in fighting with two sabers, and he had modified his equipment to suite his evolving fighting style. His weapon belt was now integrated into the dark brown vest that he wore, and he carried his sabers a bit higher up, one on each side, the hilts tilted slightly forward, so that he could retrieve them easily in a cross-draw fashion. It had been Padmé's suggestion, as she so often liked to come and watch him practice, and she had made the vest and modifications for him and, like so many of her suggestions, it suited him well and pleased him.

He stood quietly for another moment, allowing the Force to flow through him, and then, with lightning speed, he reached with his right hand, drawing the saber at his left side, and ignited his weapon.

The brilliant, pure white blade blazed forth, as he swung his saber up quickly, and began to deflect the bright orange blasts as the remotes began to whirl around him, in wide, slow arcs, alternating their fire from side to side, as he practiced, swinging his blade smoothly, in front and behind, deflecting them harmlessly into the ground.

* * *

Obi-Wan walked slowly and quietly down the garden path toward the meadow. Knowing that Anakin usually took his exercises early in the morning, he had taken a chance that he might find him at practice, so he had gotten up early as well. He had found Threepio, already at work, and the tall, silver droid had told him where to find him; he hadn't seen Anakin at saber practice in a long time, and he hoped that he might be able to watch his young friend practice.

Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Anakin as he spun his blade quickly, raising it up and over his head, deflecting the blast from the remote behind him, and then, smoothly and instantly, extinguish his blade and return his weapon to its holster.

His mind no longer on the remotes, Anakin immediately sensed the familiar presence, almost at the same time he heard the voice behind him.

"You know," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin turned and looked at him, "I don't know how you manage to keep your skills up, just practicing against those things."

"Well," Anakin said slyly, "they're not your every day practice remotes, you know. I've made a few changes to them to make things more challenging." He turned and watched with a grin as his old mentor approached him. "Care to have a go with them?"

"Maybe," Obi-Wan laughed in reply, as he watched Anakin return the two remotes to their storage case.

Obi-Wan turned his attention to Anakin's sabers as he turned and walked back toward him, and reached over and patted the one on Anakin's left side, a look of keen interest on his face. "I see that you've completed those new sabers," he said. "Mind if I take a look at one?"

"Not at all," Anakin grinned back at him, and, taking the saber from its holster, he placed it in Obi-Wan's outstretched hand.

Obi-Wan turned the finely polished saber over slowly in his hands, admiringly; the craftsmanship was exquisite. He wrapped his hand around the black rubber grip, and then bounced it in his hand a time or two. "You've done a fabulous job, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. 'I don't think I've ever seen such fine craftsmanship."

"Thank you, Master," Anakin said, with more than a small hint of pride, watching his former mentor admire his handiwork.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Obi-Wan said, looking thoughtfully up at Anakin with a wry grin, "but I could have sworn I saw a white blade."

Anakin smiled widely, and took a step back from Obi-Wan. "Be my guest, Master," he said, bowing slightly at him.

Obi-Wan turned the saber to his side and ignited the blade, watching with amazement as its brilliant white blade surged to life, humming smoothly. He took a step back from Anakin, and swung the weapon several times; it was perfectly balanced, so much so, that the weapon seemed to move on its own. He brought the blade up in front of him, admired it for a long moment, and then, pressing the igniter again, he watched as the blade disappeared instantly back into the handle.

"I've only seen one other white blade," Obi-Wan said, looking up at his former padawan. "And that's in the Archives at the Jedi Temple."

"Well," Anakin said with a sheepish grin, patting its twin on his side, "now we know there are at least three."

"Two?" Obi-Wan said with a laugh, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Yep," Anakin chuckled. "I believe Padmé's exact words were, 'They'll look funny if they don't match'."

"That's fantastic," Obi-Wan said with a hearty laugh, as he looked at the weapon again, rolling it slowly in his hands.

"You should be very proud of yourself, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, placing the weapon back in Anakin's hand, and watching as he returned it to its holder. "That's an amazing accomplishment."

"Thank you, Master," Anakin replied gratefully. "That means a lot, coming from you."

"So," Obi-Wan said, the wry grin returning to his face, as he reached under his sandy brown tunic, "are you feeling up to practicing with something besides a remote this morning?"

Anakin watched as Obi-Wan produced a small box from under his cloak; he opened it, and Anakin smiled as he saw the two sparring sabers shining up at him. "Absolutely," he said, his eyes sparkling, as he reached into the box and took one of the sabers into his hand.

Obi-Wan grinned broadly as he took the other saber from the small box, and he quickly tossed the box on the ground next to the box that had held Anakin's remotes. He turned, as he and Anakin walked around each other warily, each eying the other with a grin. Sparring sabers were nothing more than lower powered versions of their normal weapons; capable of blocking one's opponent's blade, while delivering nothing more than a nasty sting with a successful blow.

"Go easy on me," Anakin said, his eyes twinkling as he faced his former mentor. "It's been quite a while; I may be out of practice."

"Yes, well," Obi-Wan nodded, chuckling under his breath, "we'll just see how out of practice you are."

Obi-Wan ignited his blade, and, spinning quickly, he turned and swung his dull green blade hard at Anakin. With a laugh, Anakin ignited his own, dropping to his knee, and caught Obi-Wan's blade, pushing it back toward him, and then rose quickly and struck, first left, then right, at his former master.

Obi-Wan caught both of Anakin's thrusts, turning them harmlessly to the side, and then pressed him offensively, raining several quick, smoothly spinning blows down against Anakin's blade. Each time, Anakin caught and turned Obi-Wan's blade aside, their weapons sparking and hissing as they contacted each other.

Anakin caught Obi-Wan's blade and held it, for a second, and then pushed him back forcefully. He dropped back, spinning his blade at his side, three or four times, and then looked at Obi-Wan with a grin.

"You're holding back on me, Anakin," Obi-Wan grinned, spinning his own blade at his side, as the two of them walked slowly around each other, warily.

"Maybe just a little," Anakin chuckled.

"Well, come on then," Obi-Wan laughed, "show me what you've got."

Obi-Wan spun and lunged at Anakin, reaching into the Force and raining a lightning quick series of blows and saber thrusts at him. With smooth, measured movements, Anakin simply turned each thrust aside, harmlessly, as he stepped smoothly back as Obi-Wan pressed his attack toward him.

Anakin spun quickly, bringing his blade around and catching Obi-Wan's as he thrust hard at him. He held it there, for just a moment, as he looked at Obi-Wan with a grin. "All right," Anakin said, lowering his gaze toward him.

Suddenly, Anakin lunged forward, his blade whirling first left, then right, then left again. Obi-Wan stepped back, caught off guard by the lightning speed of Anakin's blows, and he swung his blade as quickly as he could as he attempted to defend himself against Anakin's attack.

Suddenly, Anakin did something that Obi-Wan didn't expect; he changed his fighting style in mid blow, switching to the older, parry and thrust style. Obi-Wan expected Anakin's next blow to come from the right, in the smooth circular pattern that he was used too. Instead, Anakin lunged straight forward, pushing his blade directly at Obi-Wan's body.

Obi-Wan leapt to the right, just managing to catch Anakin's blade and turn it aside and, as he did, Anakin spun quickly, bringing his blade around and directly into Obi-Wan's right arm.

"Owww!" Obi-Wan cried, with a laugh, as the sharp, electric sting bit through his sleeve. Before he could recover, Anakin dropped to one knee, spinning quickly, and brought his blade around and into Obi-Wan's leg, just above his boot at the knee.

With a howl of pain, and laughter, Obi-Wan fell back onto his back in the tall grass, extinguishing the blade of his saber. "Okay, okay," Obi-Wan said, half laughing, half groaning, holding his hands up submissively to his former student. "You win, I surrender."

Anakin laughed, and, extinguishing the blade of his weapon, he walked over and extended his hand to Obi-Wan, and helped him up to his feet. "Best two out of three, Master?" Anakin asked.

"No, I think we'll call it a draw," Obi-Wan chuckled, rubbing his shoulder painfully. "I'd forgotten how badly those things sting," he laughed, as he reached down and rubbed the side of his leg.

"Sorry, Master," Anakin replied, as the two of them walked over and sat down next to the large black box that held Anakin's remotes. "That's not a very pleasant way to greet you in the morning, now is it?"

"Actually," Obi-Wan sighed, leaning back on his arms in the grass, "it was perfect. I've missed our sparring sessions."

"Me too, Master," Anakin said, placing the sparing saber back into the small box, and handing it to Obi-Wan. He watched quietly as he placed his back in and closed the box securely.

"I don't know about you," Anakin said, "But I'm still hungry, and I would imagine you are, too. Would you like to head up to the house and have some breakfast? Threepio's gotten quite handy in the kitchen the past few years."

"Sounds great," Obi-Wan said, and the two of the stood up and, dusting off their pants, they picked up their belongings and headed back up to the house.

* * *

It had been a delightful day.

After having breakfast with Anakin on the patio, compliments of Threepio, Obi-Wan had spent the day with his young friend at his workshop in the city. It had been quite some time since he had spent a day at work with his hands, and he had found it amazingly refreshing. He had helped Anakin and Ruwee with what he could, even though his own repair skill had grown somewhat rusty over the years from lack of use. He understood, though, why Anakin was so content; he had watched his former padawan all day, as he had greeted customers, made repairs, and taken in new work, and check on his beloved Padmé off and on through the day.

Padmé had brought them a wonderful lunch, and had spent some time visiting with him, Anakin, and her father, until she had left with Sola to run some errands. They cleaned up the shop, as the day had worn on, and then made their way back to Anakin's home in time for dinner.

Just as the night before, dinner had been delightful, and now, as they sat quietly on the patio, watching Sola's children play in the field below them, Obi-Wan began to understand what it was about this simple, fulfilling life that brought such contentment and peace to his young friend's life.

He looked at Anakin, as he sat contentedly at Padmé's side, his arm around her shoulder, watching Ryoo and Pooja attempt to fly the kite that he had helped them build earlier that evening. He was truly happy for Anakin, and for Padmé. He looked at her, as she sat close beside him, her hand resting gently on top of her round stomach, and smiled; Anakin's life would soon be full indeed, when the twins arrived, and he was truly convinced that, by whatever miracle of the Force that had arranged the events that had transpired four years ago, that they were truly meant to be together.

His quiet thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Artoo Deetoo, as he rolled around the corner of the patio, a long string of excited beeps and whistles drawing their attention to him.

"What is it, Artoo?" Anakin asked, turning to look at the excited little droid, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small display device that he kept there for just such an occasion. Artoo repeated his excited exclamation, and Anakin turned and looked at Obi-Wan curiously.

"He says that he's just received a message from Arfour," Anakin said, looking back up at Obi-Wan. "He says that Arfour is on his way here, now, with your ship."

Obi-Wan leaned forward, a concerned expression on his face. "Does he say why he's bringing the ship?" he asked, turning his attention to the little droid.

Artoo let fly with another long series of beeps and whistles, as Padmé turned and watched Anakin look intently at the display in his hand. "He didn't say, Master," Anakin said, as he looked back up at Obi-Wan. "He only says that you're to contact Master Windu as soon as possible, and that it's urgent."

Obi-Wan stood up, slowly, as he looked around with a serious expression. "Can we use the transmitter in your ship?" he asked, as he turned his attention back to Anakin and Padmé, as they both looked at each other; they knew as well as Obi-Wan did that if Master Windu were contacting him here, now, it must be serious.

"Of course, Master," Anakin said, as he turned to their little droid. "Artoo," Anakin said, as he stood up and helped Padmé up off the bench, "go down to the ship and power up the communications systems. We'll be down to join you in a minute."

Artoo whistled obediently, as he turned and rolled quickly through the patio gate and down the hill toward the hangar.

"Whatever's happened, it can't be good," Obi-Wan said, as he looked intently at the both of them. "We'd better hurry."

Anakin nodded and, taking Padmé's hand, they followed Obi-Wan through the gate and down toward the hangar, just as Artoo began to lower the access ramp to their ship.

* * *

Obi-Wan placed the signal encrypter from his belt into the slot on the holographic projector aboard Anakin's cruiser, as Artoo rolled to the communications terminal and, inserting his data probe, signaled to Arfour that he was ready to transfer the signal to their ship.

Padmé sat down next to Anakin on the bench in the cockpit, taking his arm in hers, as Obi-Wan came and sat down beside him.

"Alright, Artoo," Obi-Wan said, turning and nodding to the little droid, "transfer the signal here as soon as you have the channel open."

Artoo whistled in reply, and spun the control wheels quickly as he sat at the communications station. They turned and looked at the holographic emitter on the small table in front of them, as the green hued image flashed for a moment, and then Mace Windu's image appeared clearly above the table in front of them.

"_Obi-Wan,"_ Mace Windu said, nodding his head, _"thank you for contacting me so quickly."_

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "I've passed the signal through the encrypter, as you requested." He turned and looked at his two companions beside him. "I have Anakin and Padmé here with me as well."

Mace Windu nodded, thoughtfully. _"I'm pleased to see you both,_" Mace Windu said, forcing a smile, "_I only wish the circumstances were better."_

"_Obi-Wan,"_ Mace said, folding his hands in front of his robe, _"the situation has grown much more serious since our last communication."_

"How so, Master?" Obi-Wan said, and they all looked at Mace Windu's image with rapt attention.

_"The droid armies of the Separatists have launched a major offensive in the last few hours,"_ Mace said, his voice deeply somber. "_Our clone forces on almost every system have fallen under attack. We have had to send almost every Jedi we have available to assist them. They're en route now. Whatever is happening, it's extremely well coordinated."_

"That's not good news, Master," Obi-Wan said, looking down at the floor for a long moment, and then back up at Mace's image, as it flickered in front of them.

_"The situation is worse than you know,"_ Mace continued; he paused for a moment, and then turned his eyes back up toward them. "_Chancellor Palpatine has been captured."_

Anakin and Padmé looked at each other, as Obi-Wan looked at Mace with an expression of disbelief. "What?" Obi-Wan said, leaning forward in his chair. "When?"

"_Just a few hours ago,"_ Mace said. "_We were able to retrieve the surveillance tapes from the building and determine who it was who took him."_

"Who was it?" Obi-Wan asked, watching Master Windu's image intently.

"_We believe it was General Grievous, the newly appointed commander of the droid army,"_ Mace said, solemnly, "_along with a group of battle droids. They stormed the office and killed the Chancellor's guards, even the two Jedi who were assigned to protect him."_

Mace Windu saw Obi-Wan looked toward the floor, his elbows resting on his knees, as he took in the information he was being given. "_It gets worse,_" Mace said, as they all looked at him, intently. "T_he two Jedi were killed in the same manner as the ones who were killed in the three other incidents, a single saber thrust through the chest."_

"_We believe that Grievous may be the one who is behind these attacks,_" Mace said, thoughtfully, "_and that Count Dooku may be with him."_

"Dooku?" Anakin said, finally speaking, as Mace turned his attention toward the young Jedi Knight. "But I thought that no one had heard from him since the battle on Geonosis."

_"That is correct, Anakin,_" Mace said with a nod, "_until now. We intercepted a transmission from Dooku intended for the leaders of the Separatist movement a short time ago. In the transmission, Dooku informed them that the capture of the Chancellor was complete, and that he would see him delivered to them shortly."_

_"If Dooku is in league with Grievous,"_ Mace Windu said, solemnly, "_we cannot allow them to deliver Chancellor Palpatine to the Separatist commanders. If they succeed in doing so,_" Mace continued, _"then support for the war in the Senate will crumble. They will be willing to make any concessions that the Separatists demand for his safe return."_

"_We need you to attempt to intercept Dooku and Grievous, and free Chancellor Palpatine, Obi-Wan,"_ Mace said, looking at his Jedi friend intently. "_If at all possible, we must try to capture Dooku as well. If we can take him into custody,"_ Mace continued, "_then we may be able to learn the identity of the Lord of the Sith."_

_"Anakin,"_ Mace Windu said, suddenly directing his attention to the young Jedi Knight, as he sat next to Obi-Wan, listening intently. _"We don't have anyone strong enough with the Force to help Obi-Wan right now,"_ he said, looking at the young Jedi intently. "_All of our strongest Jedi Knights have been sent to command the clone battalions."_ Mace paused, as Anakin looked at him, already knowing in his heart what the Jedi Master was preparing to ask of him. "_Obi-Wan will need your help."_

_"I'm sorry to have to ask this of him, my lady,"_ Mace said, turning a compassionate face toward Padmé, as she squeezed Anakin's arm tightly, _"but we desperately need his help. This situation is far more dire than any we have faced. The future of the Republic itself may hang in the balance."_

Padmé nodded her head, slowly, and then turned her eyes downward, as she clung to Anakin's arm tightly.

_"Obi-Wan,"_ Mace Windu said, turning his attention back toward him, "_we believe that the Chancellor is being held on the Separatist flagship, the Invisible Hand. That is where the transmission from Dooku was intercepted. It is currently still in orbit over Coruscant. What fighters we have available are attempting to create a blockade to keep it in orbit until you can arrive."_

"Understood, Master," Obi-Wan said, as he turned and looked thoughtfully at Anakin for a long moment. "I'll get underway as soon as possible," he said, turning his attention back to Mace Windu and nodding his head affirmatively.

"_Contact me on Coruscant as soon as you are able too, Obi-Wan,"_ Mace Windu said. _"And may the Force be with you both."_ As Mace finished, he nodded his head toward them, and the transmission flickered, and then faded away.

Obi-Wan stood up slowly, and walked across the cockpit of the ship, looking at the console for a long moment, thoughtfully. Anakin and Padmé sat in silence on the bench, both of them still trying to take in everything that they had heard.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, turning and looking at his young friend as he folded his hands across his chest, "I know that Master Windu asked you to help me, but I think you should stay here with Padmé."

Padmé didn't understand the tremor that she felt inside her heart; it was somewhat strange, almost as if a small, faint voice were speaking to her, without words, giving her words of comfort, words of direction, as she looked quietly at Anakin as he sat next to her, holding her hand tightly in his. She looked at him intently, considering all that he was, everything that he had come to be, as she felt the tremor in her heart grow stronger.

Anakin started to answer him, and he stopped just as Padmé looked up at Obi-Wan and spoke. "No," she said quietly, as she looked at Obi-Wan, deeply thoughtful. "Anakin is a Jedi Knight. It's his place to help you."

"His place is here with you, Padmé," Obi-Wan said, looking at her with a deeply thankful expression. "I appreciate your willingness to have him help, but..."

Anakin squeezed her hand tightly, as he turned and looked at her as she spoke. "Obi-Wan," she said, quietly, interrupting him. "Anakin is a powerful Jedi Knight. Without his help, you have no hope of rescuing the Chancellor and capturing Count Dooku."

"Anakin faced Dooku once before," Padmé said softly, looking at her husband proudly. "He's the only hope you have of taking him alive and putting an end to this terrible war."

Obi-Wan looked at the both of them quietly for a long moment, and then he looked at Anakin thoughtfully. "Very well," he said, quietly. "It's up to you, Anakin. I won't blame you if you decide to stay."

Anakin knew in his heart that Padmé was right. He turned and looked at her lovingly, for a long moment, and then turned and looked back at Obi-Wan. "I'll need a few minutes to get ready," Anakin said softly, squeezing Padmé's hand tightly.

Obi-Wan turned his eyes downward, and then took a long, deep breath. "Very well," he said, nodding his head. "We'll leave as soon as you're ready, Anakin."

They all stood up together, and Artoo followed them as they walked quickly down the ramp of the ship and back toward the house.

* * *

Padmé stood next to Anakin, looking at him in the long mirror over their dresser, as he fastened his weapon belt over the dark brown leather vest of his Jedi uniform. She put her hands on his shoulders as she stepped just behind him, and squeezed them gently as he looked up at her in the mirror and smiled, somewhat painfully.

"It's been a long time since you wore this," Padmé said, quietly, forcing a smile. "It still fits you good," she said, as she tried to brighten her own countenance. "You look as handsome as ever."

Anakin turned toward her, his own countenance betraying what he was feeling, as she turned her attention to his jacket and tunic. "Besides," she said, patting his newly modified weapon vest, as she looked at his two new sabers shining brightly at his sides in their holsters, "you were going to have to see how well these changes we made worked for you someday, anyway."

Anakin placed his hands on her shoulders, and she looked up at him. He looked deeply into her eyes, a loving, compassionate expression on his worried face. "Are you all right?" he asked, softly, as he saw her eyes glistening as she looked up bravely at him.

She stood quietly for a moment, and then pulled him close to her, burying her face in his chest. "No," she said brokenly, as she started to sob softly as he wrapped his strong arms around her.

Anakin kissed her and laid his head on hers, as he cradled her tightly in his arms. "I know," he said, his own voice cracking has he held her tightly. "I don't want to go, either."

He gently stroked her long brown hair with his hand, as he held her tightly for a long time. His heart ached as much as hers, as he listened to her soft, muffled sobs. "Padmé," he said softly, "if you don't want me to go, I won't. I'll stay here."

Padmé shook her head, and looked up at him, as she wiped the tears from her cheek. "No," she said, as she tried to compose herself. "No, you have to go," she said, placing her hands comfortingly on his shoulders. She looked into his eyes as he looked at her; she could see that he was suffering as much as she was.

"I made myself a promise," Padmé said, looking down and smoothing the sleeves of his tunic with her hands, "that when this day came, I'd be brave for you. And here I am," she said, looking up at him, "crying and wishing you weren't going."

"Now I know how your mother felt, that day when you offered to enter the pod race to help us," she said softly after a long pause, as he gazed at her lovingly.

"You're a Jedi Knight, Ani," Padmé said, forcing a weak smile. "We both knew that this day could come, someday. That's why you've kept up with your training and worked so hard."

"You've trained long and hard for this moment," Padmé said, as she reached up and took his face gently in her hands. "Obi-Wan needs you now, they all do. You can help them, I know that."

She gazed deeply into his eyes for a long moment. "I'm so proud of you, Ani," she said, softly. "And I love you so very much."

"I love you so much, Padmé," Anakin said, as he gently caressed her cheek. "I'll be fine, and I'll be back soon, I promise."

"That makes me feel better," Padmé sighed, as she hugged him tightly. "You've never broken a promise to me, ever."

"And I won't break this one, either," Anakin said, softly, his eyes searching hers. "I swear."

Anakin pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her, as their lips met in a long, passionate embrace.

* * *

Padmé and Sola followed Anakin and Obi-Wan out of the front door of the house, with Artoo and Threepio following closely behind them. Down below them, near the hangar, they could see the jets of cold gas venting below the engines of Obi-Wan's ship, as Arfour prepared it for departure.

Anakin looked at the ship for a moment, and then turned around and took Padmé gently in his arms. Sola and Obi-Wan watched quietly, as Padmé reached up and caressed his cheek as he kissed her, softly, for a long moment.

"We'll be back soon," Anakin said, as their lips parted. "I promise."

"I love you," Anakin said with a smile, and he kissed her again, gently.

"I love you too, Ani," Padmé said, softly. "Please be careful."

Sola wiped a way a tear from her cheek, as Obi-Wan took a step toward Padmé, and hugged her tightly. "He'll be home in no time," Obi-Wan said, as he released her and nodded his head firmly. "I'll see to that."

Padmé wiped a tear from her own cheek. "You'd better, Master Kenobi," she smiled, weakly. "Or you'll have to answer to me."

"And me," Sola said, walking over and placing her arm tightly around Padmé's shoulders.

"Do be careful, Master Ani," Threepio said, as he stood quietly next to Artoo, trying hard to conceal the tone of concern in his electronic voice.

"I will, Threepio," Anakin nodded. "You look after Padmé while I'm gone, okay?"

Padmé smiled as Threepio took a step closer to her, and placed his metal arm gently on her shoulder. "Of course, Master Ani," Threepio said, standing up straight. "Don't worry about a thing."

"And you keep your eyes on that communications terminal in our ship, Artoo," Anakin said, turning his attention to the little astrodroid. "I want you to be ready when I call, understood?"

Artoo whistled and beeped in reply, as he nodded his sensor dome slowly.

Anakin looked at Padmé fondly, as Obi-Wan turned and started toward their ship. "Don't worry, Padmé," he said. "I made you a promise, remember?"

Padmé's face brightened as she saw the loving, caring look in his eyes. "Okay," she said softly, as she watched him turn and follow Obi-Wan toward the ship.

Sola squeezed Padmé's shoulders tightly, as they watched the two young Jedi warriors climb up into the cockpit of Obi-Wan's fighter. Artoo whistled, low and forlornly, as they watched the ship fire its engines, the tall grass waving wildly below it, as it lifted slowly into the air and, turning quickly, took off toward the dark, topaz Naboo sky.

Padmé turned and looked at Sola for a long moment, and Sola watched as a single tear trickled slowly down her cheek.

Sola hugged her sister tightly, as, no longer able to hold back her emotions, Padmé fell into her arms and sobbed quietly, as Anakin and Obi-Wan's ship disappeared into the clouds above them.


	3. Dark Betrayal

_**Chapter 3: Dark Betrayal**_

Padmé sat quietly at her dressing table, gently pulling her brush through her long brown hair, as she gazed off into the mirror in front of her, far beyond her own reflection as it looked back at her in the soft light of her bedroom.

He had only been gone a few hours, yet her heart ached as though he had been gone for a month. The tears had stopped, at least for a few moments, as she had convinced herself that they had both done what they knew they had to; his part had been to accept the responsibility to go, and hers had been the willingness to send him. She had a responsibility to him now, and she intended to see that responsibility through; she would have faith in his abilities, those that she knew so well, and in their love for each other, and trust in her heart that he would return to her just as he promised.

She laid her brush quietly down on the table, and then turned her gaze downward toward her lap, as she gently placed her hands on her stomach. Their two unborn twins had been unusually quiet this evening, almost as if they sensed, just as she did, the absence of his familiar tremor and presence.

She sat quietly, for a long moment, as she tried hard, through the pain in her own heart, to shift her attention to the two that she could feel beating inside of her. "Don't worry," Padmé said softly, as she moved her hands slowly over her stomach. "Daddy's just had to go away for a little while," she said, and she paused, as she felt those same tears begin to sting her eyes again.

"I know you don't understand right now," she told them softly, as she reached out to their two unborn children with all of her heart, "but your father is very important, and he's gone to help a lot of people, because he's the only one who can."

"I love and miss him, very much," Padmé said, quietly. "I know you can tell I'm sad right now, but he's promised us that he's coming home, and he will."

"He's never broken a promise to us," she sighed, smiling weakly as a single tear rolled slowly down her cheek. "And he won't this time either, my precious ones, I promise."

Padmé stood up, quietly, and hung her robe on the back of the chair next to her side of the bed. She climbed into bed, pulling the covers up over her, leaning back quietly against her pillow. She took a deep, halting breath, and then she placed her hand slowly on the empty bed beside her.

She looked at his pillow for a long moment, as her vision began to blur from the tears welled up in her dark brown eyes. "I need you both to help me be strong," she whispered, her voice trembling as she placed her hands gently on her stomach again and closed her eyes. "I have to be strong for your daddy, okay?"

The tears that came this time were easier, but only slightly; she rolled gently onto her side, pulling his pillow close to her chest as, for the first time since this difficult evening began, she felt the two soft thumps inside her womb.

* * *

The small red and gold fighter appeared with a bright flash of light as, as if from nowhere, it dropped out of light speed, just beyond the orbit of Coruscant's outermost moon. The trip had taken them just under six hours this time, as Arfour, with Anakin's help, as he sat in the copilot's seat directly behind Obi-Wan, had managed to push the old worn hyperdrive unit closer to the speeds that it had been intended for.

"Hang on, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he reached for the control panel at his side, "I'm preparing to jettison the hyperdrive unit."

Anakin held on to the arms of his seat, as the ship jolted hard as it broke free of the clamps that bound it to the hyperdrive unit, and he watched out the cockpit window as the large, donut shaped device floated slowly off against the blackness of space.

He turned his attention to the display in front of him, as Obi-Wan pushed the throttle to full impulse, as they started to make their way quickly toward Coruscant. "Arfour," Anakin said, as he pressed the button next to his display, switching it over to tactical mode, "see if you can plot the current location of the _Invisible Hand_."

Arfour whistled in reply from his position behind Anakin, and, in just a moment, Anakin's tactical display flashed up a schematic of their position in relation to the planet, along with the current location of the separatist flagship and the Republic forces around it.

"Looks like she's still in orbit, Master," Anakin said, as he studied the display careful for a long moment, "just behind the planet's terminator, from the angle we're currently approaching."

"And," Anakin said, his expression growing a bit more serious as he looked at the large number of ships on his display, "it looks like she's not alone."

"How so?" Obi-Wan asked, as he watched the planet slowly grow in the cockpit window in front of him.

Anakin reached over and pressed a switch next to his display, mirroring it on the one in front of Obi-Wan as he spoke. "It looks like there are several frigates that have come to help her break through the blockade," he said. "Their fighters are attacking the Republic ships, and it looks like the blockade is weakening. If we don't get there soon," Anakin said, looking up as he watched his master study the display in front of him, "they may be able to make the jump to light speed, and we'll lose them."

"Damn," Obi-Wan said, looking at the display in front of him. Anakin was right; the Republic forces appeared to be outnumbered and loosing control of the situation quickly. "We can't let Dooku escape this time," Obi-Wan said, grimly. We've got to find a way to stop him."

"We could try to board her," Anakin said, turning his eyes toward Obi-Wan. "If we can get to her, that is."

"Board her?" Obi-Wan said, thoughtfully. "How so?"

"She's got to have a hangar bay somewhere, Master," Anakin said. "If we can get through the fighters, we should be able to find it and get on the ship."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, listening closely to Anakin's suggestion. "And once we're there," he said, "it doesn't matter if they make the jump to light speed or not."

"Exactly," Anakin said, turning his attention back to the tactical display.

"Anakin," he said, as he reached down and switched weapon control to the copilot's station, "you take the weapons. I'm going to try to bring us in on the straightest course I can. See if you can keep the fighters off of us until we're close enough to find a way to board the ship."

"Understood, Master," Anakin said calmly as he activated the ship's cannons. He flipped the small holographic targeting monocle on the headset that he wore down over his right eye and, taking the weapon joystick in his hand, he pressed the switch on the console and activated the system.

Anakin looked out into the blackness of space in front of him; the copilot's seat was slightly elevated, higher than the pilot's seat in front of it, providing an unobstructed view of the star field around him. As the weapons came on line, he saw the bright red, flashing triangle that seemed to hang in space in front of him, and he swung the joystick several times, left and right, to ensure that the system was tracking properly.

"We should be coming up on the first of their fighters in a few moments, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he shifted their deflector screen power slightly, placing more of the system's energy on those at the front. "Look sharp."

"Arfour," Anakin said, after he took a long, deep breath. "Switch my display to targeting mode, but leave Master Obi-Wan's on tactical," he said. "Give me priority targets on those within ten thousand meters, understood?"

Obi-Wan smiled, as he looked down from the cockpit window for just a moment, as he heard Arfour whistle in reply to Anakin's command; he was glad his young friend was with him.

* * *

Obi-Wan cut the ship hard to the left, just as Anakin's cannons destroyed another of the small fighters directly in front of them, and swung them back hard right as soon as they cleared the flaming, smoking hull as it cartwheeled through space behind them.

They were closing on the _Invisible Hand_; Anakin had destroyed at least a dozen of the small, fast fighters that continued to attack them, as they watched the massive, separatist flagship continue to fire on the Republic ships that held it in orbit around the planet.

"What kind of fighters are these?" Anakin said, as he quickly swung his targeting monocle toward the two small ships that approached them quickly from above. He fired, neatly clipping the wing of one of the fighters, and watched as it spiraled out of control, trailing a brilliant orange-gold stream of plasma behind it, and then exploded violently; it had been close, enough so that the blast wave rocked their own ship as Anakin prepared to take aim at the next one.

"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan said, as he swung their ship evasively through space, trying to close the gap between them and their target. He glanced out the side of their cockpit quickly as one of the small ships blasted past them. "I've never seen this configuration before."

The space around them was thick with them. They appeared to be small, one-man fighters; each appeared to be controlled by a droid from a central, teardrop shaped pilot's cockpit. Each one carried three sets of laser cannons, one mounted centrally below the pilot, and two mounted on either of the octagonal, vertically mounted wings.

"Well," Anakin said, as he squeezed the trigger, destroying yet another of the ships as their own ship bounced angrily from the hostile fire around them, "they don't seem to be too heavily armored or shielded, but they're quick, and there's an awful lot of them."

Anakin felt the ship lurch violently as the canon fire struck their rear deflector screens hard; he looked over his shoulder, just in time to see two of the fighters drop in behind them. "We've got two behind us, Master," Anakin said, as he watched the two ships fire at them furiously.

Obi-Wan looked at the massive _Invisible Hand _as it loomed in front of them, its own cannons firing relentlessly at the Republic cruisers around it; he could see three small hangars near the rear of the ship, but the space between their fighter and the hanger bay was filled with fighters, swarming like angry bees whose nest had been viciously disturbed.

"Blast," Obi-Wan said, as he swung the ship back and forth, evasively. "There's so many of them, it's going to be damn near impossible to slow the ship enough to enter one of the bays."

"Then we'll have to go in full throttle," Anakin said, turning his eyes back to Obi-Wan.

"You're kidding?" Obi-Wan said, a trace of a laugh in his voice. He looked at the small hangar bay closest to them. "There's no way I can hit that hangar entrance at this speed," he said, "and besides, even if I did, we'd go clean through the back of the ship."

"I can get us in there," Anakin said confidently. "Once we enter the hanger, we reverse the engines, fire the braking thrusters, blow the canopy, and bail out of the ship."

"Just that easy?" Obi-Wan said with a pained expression, just as another laser blast struck the rear of their ship. "We'll never make it. And I still have nightmares about the last time you and I went flying together."

Anakin looked down, just as the rear deflector warning light went red and started flashing. "We're losing our rear deflectors, Master," Anakin said, anxiously. "If we don't do something quick, we're not going to make it anyway, and Padmé's going to be very upset with the both of us."

Obi-Wan quickly weighed their choices in his mind, as another laser blast exploded beside them. "Hell hath no fury," he said with a resigned sigh. "Since you put it that way, I guess we have no choice."

Anakin smiled as he watched Obi-Wan transfer the ship's controls to him. "Transfer the weapons to me," Obi-Wan said, activating his targeting monocle quickly. "She's all yours."

Anakin pressed the switch, transferring the cannons to Obi-Wan's command, and then took hold of the control yoke. "Ok," he said, squeezing the control yoke tightly, "hang on, Master. Here we go."

Obi-Wan felt that familiar queasiness in the pit of his stomach as Anakin punched the throttle, and began to weave wildly through the maze of ships and cannon fire as they rapidly approached the hangar at the rear of the _Invisible Hand. _"I'm not so sure this was a good idea," he shouted, as he swung the cannons toward, and destroyed, two of the fighters nearest them. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"You're probably right," Anakin said, as he rolled the ship hard right, then left again, making straight for the hangar directly in front of them, closing on it fast. "But it's too late to turn around now."

Obi-Wan looked up; he could see the lights inside the hangar in front of them as they quickly approached it, and could see the row of ships near the far end. "We may be able to use those ships to soften the impact," he said, "if you can call that soft."

"I was thinking the same thing," Anakin said. "Oh, and lower the landing gear," he said, as he swung the ship hard right to avoid the fighter that approached them.

"Now?" Obi-Wan said, turning and looking at his young friend, a somewhat concerned expression on his face, as another fighter roared past them, its cannons blazing.

"Yes, now," Anakin said confidently. "If we can catch the ship's landing gear on the hangar's deck as we enter, it'll help slow us down more."

"Marvelous," Obi-Wan said with another resigned sigh, as he turned and pressed the switch to lower the gear. "He's obviously not planning on taking off again," he sighed under his breath, as he felt the ship lurch against the landing gear's drag as it dropped and locked in position.

Anakin dodged the last of the fighters that cut in front of them, and cutting the power slightly to prepare for their approach, he turned the ship and set their course directly for the hangar's entrance. "The atmospheric shields are going to slow us down some, Master," he said. "As soon as we clear them, fire the breaking thrusters and I'll reverse the engines."

Obi-Wan nodded, and he swallowed hard as he watched the hangar approaching rapidly; to his horror, he saw the fighter that moved slowly toward the middle of the bay as it prepared to launch.

"Anakin," he said, grabbing the arms of his seat tightly, "not good, not good, not good!"

Obi-Wan watched as the battle droids saw them approaching, faster than a mynok chasing a broken power coupling; they abandoned the fighter where it stood and began to scatter in the hangar as he and Anakin barreled toward them.

Anakin pulled back on the control yoke, lifting the nose of their ship as he saw the fighter directly in front of them. "Too late now, Master," Anakin said, as he grit his teeth hard. "Hang on, here we go."

Anakin cut the engines into full reverse, just as the ship contacted the atmospheric shields; the ship's belly contacted the lip of the hangar deck, its nose up, and their restraints cut into their shoulders as they were both pitched forward in their seats hard as the landing gear was sheered cleanly off.

The impact sent their ship sailing upward and rolling slightly to the left, and their left wing neatly sheared the wing off of the fighter that sat in front of them on the runway as they skipped over it like a stone over water. A brilliant array of sparks and plasma exploded into the hangar bay, and they were pitched against their restraints again, as the ship dropped quickly and impacted the deck hard, sliding sideways directly toward the ships ahead of them on its belly, sparks and metal shards spraying wildly in all directions.

The atmospheric shields, combined with the impact and the engines, had slowed them significantly, and though he wasn't quite sure what direction they were traveling in, Obi-Wan punched the breaking thrusters. The huge burst of power sent them sliding backwards toward the hangar wall, and as the rear of their ship contacted the wall behind them the tail began to strip wires and power conduits of all kinds off the hangar walls, leaving a trail of smoke and fire behind them as they careened through the hangar.

Bucking and pitching wildly, their ship skipped across the hangar floor, droids and sparks flying in all directions, as they struck the ship ahead of them broadside with a significant impact, sending it flying into the one behind it.

They ground to a halt, their ship rocking back and forth, as they both tried to quickly regain their wits. The impact had been significant, and, though they were uninjured, they were both understandably disoriented from the ordeal. "Quick," Obi-Wan said, visibly and audibly shaken from the experience, "we need to get out of this ship."

"What's the hurry, Master?" Anakin asked, shaking his head hard, his ears still ringing from the sound of the impact.

Obi-Wan reached over and punched a button on the console beside him, and, with a rush of escaping gas as the ejection canisters fired, the ship's canopy flew off and up, landing on the floor of the chaotic, smoke filled hangar with a crash.

They both unbuckled themselves quickly and climbed out of the cockpit of what once was Obi-Wan's fighter and, taking a few quick steps away from it, they turned and looked back at it for just a moment.

The hangar bay was a shambles, completely filled with smoke, damaged ships and broken droids; those that weren't destroyed in the impact were scrambling around blindly in the thick smoke. Obi-Wan reached to his belt and drew his saber, and then turned and looked at Anakin, as he stood beside him, rubbing his head and looking at Obi-Wan's now destroyed ship.

"Well," Obi-Wan said as he rubbed his shoulder where the restraints had bitten into him, "I can honestly say I've crashed and lived to tell about it now."

"I'm sorry, Master," Anakin said, looking at Obi-Wan sheepishly. "I think I broke it."

"That's okay," Obi-Wan said with a weak laugh, shaking his head and looking back at the hulk of bent and smoking metal, "I'll bring it to your shop when all of this is over and you can fix it for me."

They both looked up, just as they heard an outburst of somewhat rude noises from Arfour, as he sat in his dock in the back of the ship, swinging his dome back and forth slowly. "At least Arfour survived," Obi-Wan said, looking up at the little droid as he continued to signal his obvious disapproval with their entire situation.

Anakin smiled as Obi-Wan looked at him with a grin, and then, suddenly, he spun quickly, drawing one of his sabers with his right hand and, igniting the brilliant white blade, deflected two laser blasts that surged toward them from the dense smoke.

"They're coming," Anakin said, as he deflected another blast. "We need to get out of here."

Obi-Wan could hear the telltale metal clank of the droid's feet as they approached them through the smoke filled hangar. "Come on," Obi-Wan said, as he watched Anakin swing his blade backwards, sending another bolt of energy back through the dense smoke from which it came. "We've got to find Dooku."

They both jumped and turned quickly, as the unfortunate ship at the far end of the hangar who's wing they'd sheered neatly off in their landing attempt suddenly exploded in a brilliant flash, throwing parts and fuel throughout the hangar bay.

"I think we may have accidentally let them know we were coming," Anakin said, as he broke into a run toward the rear of the hangar, right on Obi-Wan's heals.

They ran quickly through the smoke, toward the door at the rear of the hangar. Obi-Wan pressed the control panel at the side of the door, and it slid open with a loud hiss. They ran quickly through it and Obi-Wan closed it quickly; then, igniting his saber, he destroyed the control panel, sealing the door shut.

Extinguishing his blade quickly, he turned and looked at Anakin. "It's not going to take them long to figure out we're here. We need to find Dooku, and the Chancellor, as quickly as we can."

"Dooku's more than likely going to be somewhere on the command deck, or close to it," Anakin said with a nod, as he powered down his weapon. "We're on the lowest deck now," he said, looking back toward the hangar's closed door. "It's going to be on the higher levels. I saw it when we were approaching the ship."

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said, and then reached up and squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly. "You fought Dooku before, Anakin," he said, looking at his young companion intently. "Do you think you can sense his presence if we get close to him?"

"I think so, Master," Anakin said with a thoughtful nod.

"Remember, we need to take Dooku alive," he said, looking at Anakin intently. "He's our best hope of finding out who Sidious really is. Understood?"

Anakin nodded his head firmly. "Understood, Master," he said quietly.

"All right," Obi-Wan said, patting Anakin's shoulder one more time. "You lead the way. Let's go."

Obi-Wan turned and followed Anakin quietly and quickly down the long corridor, as they made their way toward the central part of the ship and the command deck that waited above them.

* * *

He stood near the observation window on the command deck of the _Invisible Hand, _his cold, unfeeling yellow eyes peering out from behind his faceless grey mask, watching the battle as it unfolded before him.

He turned, slowly, as the battle droid at the command console nearest him spoke. "General Grievous," the droid said, his mechanical voice echoing through the command deck, "We have additional enemy ships closing from sector seventeen."

The Republic blockade had been far more successful than they had anticipated; though they had dealt a serious blow to the clone forces that attacked them, the Republic's army was beginning to take the upper hand. The fight had been far more intense than any of them had imagined it would be.

Count Dooku turned and watched, from the large strategic command table where he stood near the center of the command deck, as General Grievous' tall, sinister form walked slowly toward him, the heavy sound of his armored, cybernetic legs echoing off the metal deck plates as his long grey cloak swirled around him.

He stopped as he reached the table, and drew his long arms up and placed them on the belt around his waist, his cloak draped loosely over his arms. Count Dooku looked down and watched, somewhat warily, as he saw the sabers that hung there swing slowly, shining in the red-hued light.

"There are too many of them," Grievous' cold, mechanical voice echoed, as he studied the strategic display in front of them. "We have already taken to much damage," he said, turning his cold, catlike eyes toward Dooku. "We must prepare to abandon this vessel."

The dark, hooded figure near the window turned and watched in silence as Count Dooku nodded, slowly, and then walked across the command deck toward the communications console. Dooku placed his signal encrypter into the console and activated the channel, and then turned and watched as the lights dimmed and the familiar image appeared above the holographic display.

"_Count Dooku,_" Nute Gunray said, anxiously, "_we are awaiting the promised delivery of Chancellor Palpatine."_

"I'm afraid that our transfer of the Chancellor to your custody may be delayed, Viceroy," Count Dooku said, flatly. "Our ship has come under heavy attack. It is possible that we may be unable to deliver him to you at this time, as promised."

"_That is unacceptable,_" Gunray replied, obviously agitated. _"Your master, Sidious, advised us that you would deliver him to us immediately."_

"I understand your frustration, Viceroy," Count Dooku said, raising his hand in a calming gesture to the angry separatist leader. "I assure you, we will deliver Chancellor Palpatine to you. But it may require more time."

_"How much time?_" Gunray asked, tilting his head inquisitively, his tone still extremely agitated. "_Our forces are engaging the Republic clone armies as we speak. We need the Chancellor so that our demands will be taken seriously by the Senate."_

"You will have him in due time, Viceroy," Dooku said, his own demeanor becoming more agitated. "Advise the other leaders that I will contact you as soon as we are en route to Mustafar."

Nute Gunray started to respond, but his image fell silent as Count Dooku reached for the control switch and terminated the signal.

"General," the droid at the command station said, "we have a serious problem."

Dooku turned and watched as General Grievous directed his attention toward the droid. "What is it?" Grievous asked, impatiently.

"Units on the lower deck report that a ship has just penetrated one of our hangar bays," the droid said, his cold mechanical voice unwavering. "Two attackers have been identified. They appear to be Jedi Knights."

"Are you sure?" Dooku said, walking back toward the table where General Grievous stood.

"Yes, sir," The droid responded, as he turned his attention back toward the display in front of him.

"They must be attempting to rescue the Chancellor," Count Dooku said, as Grievous looked at him intently. "This could complicate our plans. Send your forces to intercept them," Dooku said, motioning toward the figure that stood silently near the observation window. "I will go and speak with my Master."

General Grievous nodded, and turned his attention back toward the droid near him. "Have all interceptor units converge on the point where the Jedi were last seen."

"Yes, General," the droid responded obediently.

Grievous watched, as the black clad, hooded figure approached Dooku, bowing his head as he approached. "Come with me," Count Dooku said, returning the signal encrypter in his hand to his belt. "We must prepare to evacuate the ship, immediately."

Count Dooku turned and walked quickly toward the door and, as it opened, the black clad, hooded figure followed close behind him.

* * *

Anakin peered carefully around the corner of the corridor; he could see the computer display just ahead of them. He motioned to Obi-Wan, and the two of them made their way quickly toward the small data terminal in the corridor wall.

"Can you bring up a schematic of the ship?" Obi-Wan asked, as Anakin tapped the controls on the display quickly.

"I think so," Anakin said, as he quickly ordered the terminal to bring up the ship's deck diagrams. He looked back down the corridor, anxiously, as he waited on the designs to appear on the display.

"You'd think, this being their flagship and all, their computers would be faster," Anakin said, an irritated tone in his voice, as he watched the display, its green screen still blank.

"Patience, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a wry grin, as he turned and looked back at his young friend.

"Here we go," Anakin said, as the plans finally appeared on the display. He pressed a few more controls, bringing their own location up on the screen. "We're here," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan looked intently at the display, "just above the main fuel decks."

Anakin gestured toward another part of the display. "The fuel decks run the length of the ship, in three sections. The one in the middle is directly below the command deck. If we can make it along this corridor here," Anakin said, gesturing down the corridor ahead of them, "we should be able to reach the main service tunnel to the deck."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Let's get moving then," he said, and they both turned and started down the corridor.

They had made it nearly to the end when, suddenly, three battle droids appeared from the juncture in front of them. Instantly, Anakin and Obi-Wan ignited their weapons as the droids lowered their own toward them.

"I think we've got company," Anakin said, just as the droids opened fire on them. He caught the first blasts with his saber, sending them back and taking the head neatly off one of their attackers, sending the droid clattering to the floor.

Suddenly, they heard two more blasts from behind; Obi-Wan spun quickly, turning the blasts harmlessly aside, and watched as more droids poured into the corridor, effectively trapping him and Anakin in the middle.

They both swung their sabers furiously, yet, as they destroyed their attackers, more and more droids just poured into the entrance to replace them.

"It's a standoff," Obi-Wan yelled over his shoulder to Anakin, as he deflected yet another back down the hall toward their attackers. "We're trapped."

Anakin stood, his back to Obi-Wan, as he swung the glowing white blade of his saber smoothly, sending two more bolts back in the direction from which they had come. He looked around, quickly, for some means of escape.

Suddenly, he remembered the schematics they had been looking at on the display. He took a quick step forward, away from Obi-Wan, and reached over with his left hand and drew his second saber, quickly igniting the blade.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked, as he turned and watched Anakin step sideways and, still deflecting the blasts of their attackers with the saber in his right hand, he started to cut a hole in the deck below their feet with the other.

"Finding us a way out of here," Anakin shouted over the barrage of laser fire, just as he finished the cut. He stepped over and stomped the deck plate several times with his boot, until the metal decking gave way and dropped through the deck below them.

"But those are the service decks," Obi-Wan said, as he turned another laser blast aside and back to their attackers. "There may not be a lot of ways out of there."

"It's better than being up here," Anakin said, as he looked at Obi-Wan and nodded at the freshly cut hole in the decking.

Anakin turned and, swinging both of his sabers smoothly, he began to send blast after blast back toward their attackers at both ends of the corridor, sending smoldering droids flying against the wall in all directions. "Go," he said, glancing back over his shoulder to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan extinguished his blade and then jumped quickly and smoothly through the hole in the decking. Seeing that Obi-Wan was clear, Anakin deflected several more blasts and then quickly extinguished both of his weapons and jumped down through the hole in the deck after him.

* * *

Anakin landed on the same slippery catwalk as Obi-Wan had; Obi-Wan grabbed his arm and steadied him as he landed on the narrow structure, suspended high above the ship's loudly humming reactors below.

Anakin looked down, toward the hot, dimly lit chasm below. "I don't think I like being here any better than where we were," Anakin sighed, looking back at Obi-Wan.

"Me either," Obi-Wan said, his eyes scanning the maze of catwalks as he tried to find a path back up the main decks. "We need to get out of here," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head at his companion. "They know we're here. We don't have much time."

"This way," Anakin said, and, taking hold of the slippery catwalk railing, they made their way along the narrow service way, toward the long, narrow service tunnel near the bulkheads ahead of them.

It was slow going; the catwalk was narrow, and the ship continued to rock violently as it was hammered by more and more laser blasts from the Republic ships. They finally reached the service tunnel and, opening the hatch, they climbed up into the tunnel and closed the hatch behind them, and slowly began to make their way up toward the command deck.

* * *

The Republic star cruiser rolled on her axis, swinging hard to starboard as she strafed alongside the massive _Invisible Hand. _As the separatist flagship continued to fire, the cruiser unleashed a strong volley of laser cannon fire, concentrated along the central part of the _Invisible's_ hull, striking her directly amidships.

The flagship of the Confederacy's fleet lurched hard to her port side, as the impact of the blast tore a massive hole through her hull, igniting the central engine core, and a colossal plume of fire and plasma erupted from her hull as she continued to roll to her port side, as the massive explosion ripped her hull open to the vacuum of space.

* * *

The shock of the explosion sent Anakin flying backwards against the wall of the corridor, as he had knelt next to the open service tunnel, attempting to help Obi-Wan up and out of the narrow passageway.

The ship's lights flashed twice, and then went dark; instantly, the ship's red emergency lights came on, bathing the passageway in an eerie, sinister glow. The ship shuddered again, violently, and Obi-Wan grabbed hold of the service tunnel's access door, as he felt his boots slip off the ladder below him. Anakin jumped up quickly, as he watched Obi-Wan grapple for a purchase on the smooth, round door and grabbed him securely by the arm.

"That was the main reactor," Obi-Wan said as Anakin helped him up and out of the tunnel as the ship continued to roll hard to port.

"Figures," Anakin said disgustedly. "Nothing like a challenge. We always did seem to get those."

"Always did seem that way, didn't it?" Obi-Wan sighed, as Anakin pulled him up beside him. "Come on, we've got to hurry."

They both struggled to catch their balance as the ship began to roll back to her starboard side. "I think the command deck is just ahead, Master," Anakin said, as they struggled to stand on the decking that trembled and groaned below them. "We should be able to..."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin as he stopped suddenly, in mid sentence, and close his eyes for a moment. "What is it?" Obi-Wan asked, watching his old padawan intently.

"It's Dooku," Anakin said, opening his eyes and drawing one of his sabers with his right hand. "I can feel him."

"Can you tell where?" Obi-Wan asked, anxiously.

Anakin closed his eyes again, reaching deeply into the Force that flowed through him. "He's not on the command deck," Anakin said, as he turned and looked back at Obi-Wan. "But he's not far. I think I can find him."

"Lead the way," Obi-Wan said, as he drew his saber and followed closely behind Anakin as he turned and bolted down the long corridor.

They ran quickly to the end of the passageway, as quickly as the trembling, rolling ship would allow, and boarded the lift that waited there; pressing the control panel on the inside of the lift, the doors closed quickly and they made their way up through the ship, following the Force that guided Anakin toward their target.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine turned his head as the door to the General's quarters opened slowly. He watched, with a surprisingly calm expression, as Count Dooku walked through the door, his dark companion following close behind him, and he listened quietly as Dooku addressed him.

"Master Sidious," Dooku said, as he approached his master, "We have a complication."

Palpatine's eyes shifted, only for a moment, to the dark figure that paused, a few steps behind Dooku. "A complication?" he asked, again, quite calmly. "What kind of complication, Count Dooku?"

"A small ship has penetrated our defenses and made its way into one of the lower docking bays," Dooku said, bowing as he addressed his dark master. "We believe the ones aboard it were Jedi Knights."

Dooku stood there quietly; he had expected to find his master preparing to leave. Yet now, as he watched his master shift his attention once again to the dark figure behind him, he suddenly realized that Sidious wore his usual Chancellor's robes, and his dark, corded robe was nowhere to be seen. His brow furrowed a bit, as Sidious shifted his gaze to him once more; something about the coldness of it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Yes," Sidious replied, nodding his head very slowly, as the corner of his mouth curled into the hint of a wry grin. "I'm well aware of that, Count Dooku."

Dooku's brow furrowed even more. "But," he asked, following slowly as his master turned and walked slowly toward the large chair in the center of the room, "shouldn't we prepare to leave the ship? Surely the Jedi will be able to sense our presence. Perhaps we should..."

"On the contrary, Count Dooku," Palpatine sighed, quite calmly, as he took a seat in the chair, reclining comfortably into it as he looked up at his apprentice once more. "Everything is going according to plan, just as I have foreseen."

Dooku took a step back, as he felt that twinge run down his spine once again. "Indeed?" he asked, openly confused, glancing over his shoulder and watching as the dark figure behind him took a few quiet steps toward the bulkhead window. "But, they suspect that we are preparing to deliver the Chancellor to the Separatists; should they find you here, in this fashion, it would only take them a moment to..."

"The Jedi believe that you are here to deliver the Chancellor to the Separatists, that is indeed correct, my apprentice," Sidious said, nodding his head calmly as he spoke. "But they believe that is is you who will make that delivery," he added, his countenance conveying a darker coldness, one that began to creep from the shadows like a cold frost on a dark morning. "They do not know that I am here. And we must ensure that they continue to believe that," he said, turning his gaze toward the dark figure beside them once more. "At least for a bit longer."

Count Dooku's face went pale, as his eyes followed his master's to their dark companion, and he saw the light saber held tightly in his gloved fist, concealed just beneath the folds of his robes. He felt that same cold chill run through his body as he looked back to his master once more, and caught sight of the cold, yellow eyes that now stared coldly back to him.

"Master Sidious," Dooku stammered, as he suddenly realized exactly what was happening. "Surely... you can't mean..."

"Come now, Count Dooku," Sidious said, as Dooku took a halting step back as his master's yellow, vengeful eyes now burned at him furiously, "I know that you're quite aware that there can only be two, a Master and an apprentice."

"You have served me well, Lord Tyrannus," Sidious said, as he turned and nodded toward the dark cloaked figure that slowly approached Dooku. "I have been most pleased with your work with our new companion."

Sidious turned and looked at Dooku again, his yellow eyes unfeeling, unblinking in the dim light. "But, as you know," he said, "I can only allow myself the indulgence of one apprentice."

Dooku turned his head and watched as the dark, hooded figure walked slowly toward him, the hilt of his light saber held tightly in his gloved hand, and he realized the sweeping irony of what was taking place.

It had been four long years since he had returned that dark, crimson cylinder that he had obtained during that fierce battle on Geonosis to the cloners on Kamino. They had been fascinated by the challenge that he and his dark master had presented them, and they had assured him of success. True to their word, they had accelerated the growth process even more, applying new and untried techniques on this very unique project that Count Dooku had requested.

They had engineered him to know no compassion, no mercy, no loyalty to anyone other than the Dark Lord himself. Once he was ready, Dooku had labored tirelessly in service to his dark master, imparting his training and knowledge of the Dark Side to his eager young student. He had absorbed all that Dooku had taught him, with a thirst for power that he had never before seen; he was relentless, a vessel of pure evil, driven by one purpose only, that purpose being to serve the will of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

"The time has come," Darth Sidious said, as he watched Dooku take another step backwards, reaching under his long, black cloak for his light saber, "to determine which one of you will continue to serve me."

"You," Sidious said, coldly, "or Lord Vader."

How ironic, Dooku thought to himself, that he would now face that which he himself had helped create. He watched the brilliant red blade of Vader's saber blaze forth, and, just as his apprentice swung his blade hard at him, he ignited the blade of his weapon, bringing it up just in time to catch the angry, vicious stroke.

Dooku swung his blade furiously, fighting with all of his might, as Darth Sidous' sinister laugh began to echo off of the cold steel walls of the General's quarters.

* * *

Anakin bolted out of the lift, before the doors had fully opened, with Obi-Wan close on his heels as they ran quickly down the long passageway.

The familiar tremor was close now; Anakin could feel his pulse begin to race, as he and Obi-Wan ran quickly toward the end of the corridor as the Force guided him toward Dooku's presence.

Their boots slid across the metal decking as they rounded the junction at the end of the corridor; they paused, only for a second or two, as they both saw the two sentry droids that turned and lowered their weapons at them. They both looked at each other for a split second, and then bolted directly at the droids, igniting their weapons as the sentries began to fire wildly at them.

Anakin swung his blade smoothly, catching two of the laser blasts and sending them back directly at the two sentries, taking both of their oblong heads cleanly off at the shoulders. They ran quickly to the door as the two droids clattered to the floor at their feet, and Anakin reached over and pressed the switch on the panel next to the door.

He heard the panel buzz, twice; the door refused to open, and he reached over and pressed it again, as Obi-Wan watched him intently. "It's locked," Anakin said, as he pounded the switch a third time with his fist, and then looked back at Obi-Wan. "It won't open."

Obi-Wan stepped quickly in front of the door. "Stand back," he said, and with a smooth, clean thrust, he drove his blade through the thick metal door. Anakin watched, his own blade humming brightly in his hand, as Obi-Wan began to cut a neat, round hole in the doorway.

Anakin stumbled, as the dark sensation struck him like a bolt of lightning. It was unmistakable, the same dark, cold feeling that he had felt that day when he left Chancellor Palpatine's office, that same feeling of dark betrayal that he had sensed during his exercises. Only now, it was much stronger, an overwhelming sensation of pure, relentless evil. Whatever it was he had sensed that day long ago, he was certain of one thing; it was in that room now, with Count Dooku.

Obi-Wan saw Anakin stumble back against the wall, his hand to his head, and he quickly withdrew his blade from the door. "Anakin," he said, reaching out to steady his companion as he fell back against the wall. "What's wrong? What is it?"

"I'm not sure," Anakin said, as he motioned to Obi-Wan to continue, "but Dooku's definitely in there. Keep cutting," he said with a nod. "We've got to get in that room."

Obi-Wan thrust his blade back through the door, and Anakin watched as his master worked quickly, his weapon sparking and humming loudly as he cut quickly through the thick, hard metal.

* * *

Darth Sidious watched with a sinister smile as his eager new apprentice brought his blade down hard against Count Dooku's, driving him back, relentlessly. Sidious closed his eyes and reached deeply into the Dark Side; he could feel the hate, the anger, the pure rage that swelled inside of the young Sith as he brought his weapon down, again and again, against the quickly tiring Count.

Sidious opened his eyes and looked toward the door as he heard the blade pierce the door. He watched, for a moment, as the brilliant green blade began to slice quickly through the thick door, the metal falling as brilliant gold molten slag to the hard metal floor, scattering in a spray of sparks as it struck the cold decking.

"He is no match for you, my young apprentice," Sidious called angrily, as he turned his eyes back to Vader and watched with dark satisfaction as Dooku fought for his life. "Finish him," he said, his eyes glaring angrily in the darkness, "and take his place at my side!"

Count Dooku struck out with all of his might, as he fought for his life against the young Sith. He thrust his blade forward hard, then slashed left, right, and left again, as he desperately sought to drive his foe back away from him. His offensive didn't last long, however, as the young Sith suddenly brought his saber up and lunged at him viciously. Dooku raised his blade quickly, catching the thrust and turning it aside; he stumbled again, struggling to find his footing as he tried desperately to fend off Vader's furious attack.

* * *

Obi-Wan brought his blade around full circle, finishing the cut; he withdrew his blade and, with all of his might, lifted his leg and kicked the large disk of metal through the glowing red hole he had cut, sending it clattering to the floor with loud crash and a spray of sparks.

Count Dooku only saw the crimson blade of his attacker for a split second, as he raised his own blade to defend himself. Anakin and Obi-Wan stepped through the jagged hole and into the dark chamber as quickly as they could; they both looked up, just in time to see Dooku stumble backwards, as the dark, hooded figure in front of him spun quickly and drove his blade cleanly through the Count's chest.

Count Dooku lurched backwards, as the searing heat of the weapon's blade spread through his body. He looked down at the humming crimson blade that protruded from his chest, as his own weapon rolled from his hand, clattering to the hard metal floor.

Anakin and Obi-Wan watched in stunned silence as Dooku dropped to his knees as the crimson blade withdrew from his chest. He struggled to take another breath, as he looked up and saw Vader's eyes glowering at him, with the same cold, yellow glow he had seen in his master's eyes only a moment before.

Dooku turned his eyes toward the two Jedi who stood near the doorway. His eyes were drawn to the glowing white blade in the younger Jedi's hand; he looked up, slowly, to the face of its owner, and a smile spread across his face as he recognized the familiar face that looked back at him.

"Forgive me," Dooku said, weakly, as he struggled to take another breath. He closed his eyes, just as he saw Vader's weapon rise again in front of him.

Anakin and Obi-Wan watched, in horrified, helpless silence, as the dark figure brought his weapon around in a smooth arc, sending Count Dooku's headless body collapsing to the hard, cold floor before him.

Anakin glanced around the room quickly, as his eyes searched the darkness for the source of the dark, foreboding presence he had sensed as he stood in the hallway outside the door, and for any sign of Chancellor Palpatine.

He froze, suddenly, as he looked to where Chancellor Palpatine stood near the side of the room; a cold chill ran down his spine as he saw, only for a brief instant, a single pair of angry, yellow eyes that glared at him from the darkness.

They both heard the sound of the heavy footsteps behind them; they turned quickly, just in time to see the remains of the chamber door open and the tall, gray-cloaked form of General Grievous appear in the doorway. His catlike eyes glared out at them from his faceless grey mask, and they both watched as his long, cybernetic arms reached down to his belt, drawing two of the many sabers that hung around his narrow, mechanical waist. He pressed the igniters and held them tightly in his hands as he took a long step toward the two warriors, their brilliant green blades humming loudly as he swung them several times at his sides.

Grievous lunged at the two Jedi, his blades swinging furiously, first at Anakin, then back at Obi-Wan. They both jumped back, one on either side of the General, as he lashed out at them both, his two blades flashing with amazing speed.

Palpatine watched, silently, as the two Jedi fought furiously with the massive cyborg, their own weapons flashing brightly in the dim light as they clashed against his in violent opposition. Palpatine turned his eyes quickly toward his young apprentice, who still stood near the body of Count Dooku.

Anakin swung his blade hard left, then right, turning the General's attack aside, and then took a step back, as he looked over his shoulder to where Palpatine stood. He watched as the dark figure ran quickly across the large room, seizing Palpatine by the arm, and hurriedly made his way toward the exit, dragging Palpatine with him.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted, as he swung his blade hard and lashed out of the General, "We can't let him get away with the Chancellor. We have to stop him, quickly!"

Anakin turned quickly and bolted for the doorway just as the dark attacker pushed the Chancellor through it forcefully. He turned quickly, igniting the crimson blade of his weapon just as Anakin reached him.

Anakin swung his blade down hard against the dark figure with all of his might, its brilliant white blade hissing and crackling violently as it struck his opponent's with incredible force. He watched, as he held his attacker's blade at bay with all of his might, as the mysterious figure turned his hooded face toward him.

Anakin's face went pale as he saw the angry, vengeful visage under the thick, dark hood; the yellow eyes burned at him furiously as he looked, in shock and disbelief, at the face staring back at him from under the long, black cloak.

Suddenly, Anakin felt himself being picked up into the air as his attacker raised his hand and, with a strong Force push, sent him flying backwards and crashing to the hard metal floor. Dazed and confused, Anakin strugged to get to his feet as he watched the hooded figure turn and disappear quickly through the doorway and down the corridor.

It couldn't be, Anakin thought to himself, as he struggled to regain control of his mind and his body; it had to have been some trick, some deception, an image planted in his mind by the Sith to distract him, to allow himself to escape. Anakin turned and looked back toward Obi-Wan as he tried to stand, struggling to get the image of the horrific face he had seen under the thick black hood out of his mind. Suddenly, another huge explosion rocked the ship; the ship rolled violently to its port side, sending Anakin off his feet and sliding across the floor, struggling for a purchase on the smooth metal decking.

General Grievous swung his saber hard at Obi-Wan, as the Jedi Knight struggled to keep his footing as the ship lurched violently. Obi-Wan brought his blade up, but the combined force of the General's blow and the motion of the deck below him sent him flying backwards against the wall, and, he cried out in pain as he struck his head on the large control console as he fell. He collapsed limply, stunned and dazed, his weapon clattering to the floor beside him.

Anakin struggled to get to his feet as the deck pitched and rolled beneath him. He watched, helplessly, as General Grievous extinguished his weapons and returned them to his belt, and then turned and glared at him for a long moment. Then, with several long powerful strides of his cybernetic legs, he stepped through the doorway and disappeared down the long corridor.

Anakin struggled to his feet, running quickly to Obi-Wan's side as the ship continued to groan as her hull pitched and rolled violently. Anakin looked out of the window; the ship was beginning to descend quickly toward the planet's atmosphere.

"Master," Anakin said, as he turned Obi-Wan toward him; he could see the bloody gash on the side of Obi-Wan's head where he had struck the console as he fell. "Master, can you hear me?" Anakin said, as he shook Obi-Wan's shoulders frantically.

Obi-Wan didn't respond; Anakin knew they had to get off this ship as quickly as they could. He reached over quickly and picked up Obi-Wan's weapon, tucking it securely into his belt. Then, reaching into the Force with all of his might, he stood up and hoisted Obi-Wan onto his shoulder, and then turned and headed toward the door, the ship's decking still pitching and rolling beneath his boots.

"You're a lot heavier than I remember, Master," Anakin groaned under his breath, as he made his way through the door. He placed one hand on the walls of the corridor and steadied himself, as the deck continued to roll under his boots. As quickly as he could, he made his way down the corridor toward the lift. He stepped inside and pressed the control switch, and, as the doors closed, he tried to catch his breath as they descended down toward the command deck below them.

* * *

The command deck was deserted; Anakin watched as the last of the escape pods launched themselves out of the port side of the ship as the massive vessel continued to descend toward the planet's atmosphere.

He dropped to his knees, lowering Obi-Wan onto the floor; he was still unconscious, and he was bleeding badly from the gash in the side of his head. Anakin leapt to his feet, his eyes searching the command deck feverishly as he looked for someway to save himself and his master.

Anakin ran quickly to the pilot's station, directly in front of the large observation windows that looked out over the bow of the massive vessel. He looked at the myriad of displays in front of him, as he quickly tried to assess the ship's condition. "Anakin Skywalker," he said to himself with a long, deep sigh, "how do you manage to get yourself into these situations?"

It didn't look good. The main engines were gone, and both the central and aft fuel decks were burning. There was a massive breach in the outer hull on the starboard side, and the plume of burning fuel and plasma that erupted into the vacuum of space was pushing the rear of the _Invisible Hand_ toward the port side.

"If we go in at this angle," Anakin said to himself quietly, as he watched the ship continue to spin as they approached the planet, "we're gonna break up and destroy who knows what in the process."

Anakin looked down at the planet, as the _Invisible Hand_ began to skip along the upper atmosphere. Coruscant was one massive city; if a vessel of this size were to plummet uncontrolled into one of the more heavily populated areas of the planet, hundreds of thousands of innocent lives would be lost. He had to do something, anything, to try to keep that from happening.

His eyes searched the pilot's station frantically for the thruster control indicators; he found them, finally, and pressing the switch beside the thruster controls, he looked intently at the display. He still had stabilizing and breaking thrusters. "It's not much," Anakin said with a reserved sigh, "but it's better than nothing."

Anakin ran quickly to the weapon's station across from him. He pressed the switch near the shield display station, hoping that at least some of the ships shields were still functioning. He looked at the display as it blazed to life; the shields were still working, barely, on the forward half of the vessel. As quickly as he could, he shifted the deflector shields, placing all of the remaining energy on the screens directly in front of and below the ship's bow.

He ran quickly back to the pilot's station, as he felt the ship begin to shudder as they began to descend into Coruscant's thick atmosphere. He took the ship's control yoke tightly in his hands, and, reaching over and firing the forward breaking thrusters, pulled back on the yoke as he attempted to bring the ship's bow up in an attempt to level their descent. If he could only keep the ship level, he though, he might have a chance of bringing the massive vessel through the atmosphere intact, and attempt something of a controlled landing. One large falling object, he figured, would be better than many.

Anakin held the yoke tightly as the ship began to shudder violently as they began to descent quickly though the atmosphere. He reached over and fired the port thrusters at the rear of the ship as he tried to compensate for the drift caused by the massive rupture in the _Invisible's _starboard side. As the thrusters fired, he could hear and feel the ship groaning from the massive stresses as they plummeted through the thick atmosphere.

"Come on, Anakin," he said to himself, clenching his teeth tightly as he pulled back hard on the yoke, trying desperately to keep the vessel's bow up, as they plummeted blindly through the thick atmosphere. "You promised Padmé you were coming home," he said, as he reached over and pushed the port thrusters to full power, "and you're damn sure not going to disappoint her."

Obi-Wan blinked his eyes as he came to; his head was swimming, and the pain that coursed through the side of his head made his sick to his stomach. He struggled to lift himself up on his elbows, as he looked around, trying to focus his eyes and determine where he was.

"Anakin?" he shouted, as he tried to lift himself to his feet as the ship shuddered violently. He pulled himself up and, leaning on the edge of the console, he looked across the command deck, just as Anakin turned his head and called to him from the pilot's station.

"Over here, Master," Anakin shouted, as he struggled to hold the ship on course as they continued to plummet through the atmosphere.

"Where in blazes are we?" Obi-Wan asked, as he staggered across the command deck and joined Anakin at the pilot's station. He looked out of the station's forward window, and watched as they started to break through the thick atmosphere, and the massive city began to unfold below them.

"Well," Anakin said, "we're landing." He paused and looked back at Obi-Wan as he watched the city approach them rapidly from below with a somewhat pained expression. "Sort of, I think."

"Well," Obi-Wan said with a resigned sigh, "it looks like this one will just be a much larger version of our last one." He looked down, as he felt the ship shuddering, violently, as they made their approach. "I don't know how you managed to get us this far."

"Quick," Anakin said, as he fired all of the ship's forward breaking thrusters, trying hard to slow their descent as much as possible. "We need to find an unpopulated place to crash."

"Crash?" Obi-Wan said, looking back at Anakin with a blank expression. "Anakin, I know it's just a technicality, but I'd really prefer the term 'land' if you don't mind."

"Okay, land, then," Anakin said, as their eyes searched the city as it loomed large under them. "We need to find a place outside of the populated areas, and fast."

Obi-Wan looked frantically, his eyes searching the city below them. "There," he said, gesturing toward a large mining field just east of the city below them. "Do you think you can set us down there?"

"I don't know," Anakin said, as he reached over and pushed the throttle for the maneuvering thrusters. "I don't have a whole lot of control, but we'll try."

Obi-Wan watched as the bow of the ship began to turn, slowly, toward the mining field. They had a chance, at least; he looked down at the pilot's console as Anakin pulled hard on the control yoke, trying to keep the ship's bow up. "We're coming in awfully fast," Obi-Wan said, turning his eyes back to the window, watching as the ships and transports below them began to scramble as they descended rapidly, trailing an enormous plume of plasma and smoke behind them.

"I know," Anakin said, as he clenched his teeth and pulled back hard on the control yoke. "As soon as we're sure we'll make the mining field, go ahead and fire all of the breaking thrusters," Anakin said, as he turned and looked at Obi-Wan. "I don't want to slow us down any more until we know we're going to clear the city."

"Good thinking," Obi-Wan said with a nod, and he walked to Anakin's right and stood next to him at the thruster controls.

They both looked out, as they watched the city pass beneath them as they rapidly descended toward the mining field. Anakin reached over and fired the maneuvering thrusters on the port side one last time, as he attempted to turn this ship into the field as straight as he could. The bow swung to their port side, as they began to roll slowly, and Anakin reached over and cut the maneuvering thrusters as they cleared the edge of the field.

"Now!" Anakin yelled, and Obi-Wan reached over and fired all of the breaking thrusters at once at full power.

The massive vessel rolled hard to her port side as the breaking thrusters fired. As the forward half of the ship slowed, the aft section buckled along the massive tear in her hull on her starboard side, and she impacted the mining field on her port side.

The force of the impact was enormous; huge plumes of gas erupted as the massive ship sheered off untold numbers of transfer pipes, sending enormous pillars of fire and huge plumes of smoke high into the late afternoon sky as the _Invisible Hand _careened through the massive mining field, leaving a path of complete destruction behind her.

* * *

She had plowed through the rocky, pipe strewn landscape for nearly three kilometers before coming to a stop, leaving a path of broken gas pipes, destroyed equipment and burning gas mines in her wake. Her hull continued to erupt into flames as the remaining fuel on her decks ignited and burned fiercely, fueled by the gas fires around her. The flames and pillars of smoke could be seen for kilometers, rising high into the evening sky, and fire control and emergency teams were already converging on the crash site by the time that Obi-Wan came to on what remained of the command deck.

They had both been sent flying against the portside wall of the command deck, as the ship had bucked and rolled during their descent. Obi-Wan lifted himself up and looked around the cabin in the darkness, as he struggled to get his bearings.

"Anakin?" he called, anxiously, as he stood up, looking frantically around the command deck for his young friend. His right arm was broken, and he winced in pain as he tried to move it, and then reached over and held it tightly to his side with his left.

"Anakin," he said again, as he stepped over the shattered command deck, his eyes searching the darkness of the smoke filled room, "Anakin, can you hear me?"

Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of Anakin's dark brown tunic near the wall; a large section of the pilot's station had torn itself free during the crash, and Anakin appeared to be pinned beneath it. As quickly as he could, Obi-Wan made his way through the smoke and darkness, tossing debris and broken equipment aside furiously.

Anakin lay on his back against the wall, and Obi-Wan knelt beside him as he reached him. He looked down, and saw that Anakin's right leg appeared to be trapped under the section of the pilot's station.

Obi-Wan shook Anakin's shoulder gently. "Anakin," he said, his face flush with concern for his young friend. "Anakin, can you hear me?"

Anakin blinked his eyes, slowly, and then jerked himself up as he came to; he cried out in pain, as he did, as the remains of the pilot's station bit into his wounded leg.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he placed his hand on his shoulder as he tried to calm him. "It's all right, we made it. Just lie still a moment."

"My leg," Anakin groaned in pain, as he lay back down on the deck. "I think my leg's broken."

Obi-Wan reached down and took one of Anakin's sabers from his weapon belt. "Just lie still a minute," he said, squeezing Anakin's shoulder firmly. "I'll get you free in just a minute."

Obi-Wan stood up, painfully, and ignited the blade of Anakin's weapon. Very carefully, he began to cut away small pieces of the pilot's station. He worked quickly, kicking the smoldering pieces clear of his companion as they fell to the deck as he worked.

It only took a few moments for him to remove enough of the pilot's station to allow him to move it. He powered down Anakin's weapon and, placing it back in Anakin's weapon belt, he reach down with his good hand and took hold of the edge of the station.

"All right," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin looked up at him. "On three, I'm going to lift, and you pull your leg out. Understood?"

"Understood, Master," Anakin said with a painful nod, lifting himself up onto his elbows.

"Here we go," Obi-Wan said, as he closed his eyes and reached into the Force. "One... two... three..."

Obi-Wan lifted, with much assistance from the Force, carefully moving what remained of the massive console from his companion's leg; Anakin felt the weight lift and, with a howl of pain, he pulled his injured leg out from under the station and collapsed back onto the floor.

Seeing that his young friend was free, Obi-Wan let the pilot's station collapse back against the wall, and quickly knelt by Anakin's side. "Are you all right?" he asked, as Anakin tried to lift himself up onto his arms.

"I think so," Anakin said, with a grimace of pain. "But I'm pretty sure that leg's broken."

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan as he knelt beside him; the blood from the cut on his head had run down the side of his face onto his tunic. His hair was matted with blood on that side, and his broken arm hung limply at his side.

"You don't look so good, Master," Anakin said, forcing a weak smile as Obi-Wan shook his head, and then placed Anakin's arm around his shoulder and helped him to his feet.

Anakin groaned with pain as he bounced gingerly on his good leg, his arm tight around Obi-Wan's shoulders. "Well," Obi-Wan said with a laugh, as he reached over and patted Anakin gently on the chest, "you've looked better yourself, you know."

Obi-Wan looked at him; Anakin held his chest tightly with his right arm. The nasty cut over his left eye was still bleeding, and his right leg was bleeding from a gash above his knee, as he held it gingerly off the deck.

"You look like hell," Obi-Wan sighed, as he shook his head slowly. "Your wife is going to kill me."

Anakin started to laugh, a painful grimace on his face. "Oh, don't make me laugh," he said, as he held tightly to Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I think I've got a busted rib or two, too."

"Wonderful," Obi-Wan said with an equally painful grin. "Some broken bones, a few destroyed ships, significant property damage," he chuckled, as he looked back at Anakin. "Just like old times, isn't it?"

"Oh, please," Anakin said, as he closed his eyes tightly and laughed again. "I said don't make me laugh, remember?"

"Oh," Anakin said, as he reached behind him, painfully, and slipped his hand under his tunic. "You lost this again," he said, turning a painful grin to his former mentor.

Obi-Wan smiled as he looked down and took his saber from Anakin's outstretched hand. "That joke's getting old, you know," he sighed, as he returned his weapon to his belt.

"Come on," Obi-Wan said, as he took hold of Anakin's arm with his good hand. "Let's get off this ship. We need to contact Master Windu and the Council as soon as we can. I think we can get out through the access hatch at the front of the command deck."

"Can we stop by the medics first, Master?" Anakin groaned, as he took a painful step, holding tightly to Obi-Wan's shoulder.

Obi-Wan laughed as they turned, slowly and painfully, and began to make their way out of what remained of the _Invisible Hand, _as the firefighting units swarmed over her flaming decks above them.


	4. Revelation

_**Chapter 4: Revelation**_

Padmé awoke to the sound of the rain falling softly against the window of their bedroom. She had slept fitfully, at best; she had found it difficult to sleep without him beside her, even though, by some miracle or mechanism of the Force that she didn't understand, she had found that, as she lay quietly in the darkness, she could still feel his warm, comforting tremor in her heart. She didn't care how, or even want to understand; it had been there since that day on Geonosis, and she was just thankful that it was there.

It had taken her a long time to fall back to sleep after she had awakened, suddenly, a few hours before. She had dreamed that he was in pain, and the dream had been so real that it had frightened her, terribly, so much so that she had cried out and bolted up in their bed, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She had closed her eyes and told herself that it was just a dream, but that had given her little comfort until she had calmed down enough to sense that his tremor was still there, and, after a long while, she had managed to drift back off into a fitful slumber.

She rolled over slowly toward his side of their bed, and, as she opened her eyes, she smiled as she saw the single rose that rested on his pillow, along with a small, folded piece of paper.

She reached over and picked them up, looking at the freshly cut rose with a sleepy smile as she closed her eyes and inhaled its fragrant scent; it was freshly cut, from her mother's garden, just as it always was.

Ever since that first morning when they had returned home, the day before their wedding, Anakin had never forgotten it. They had been married on the fourth day of the month, and, every month, on the fourth day, she always awoke to that single, simple gesture of love and devotion.

She laid the rose next to her on the bed, and opened the note that had been placed there with it. She smiled again as she recognized his handwriting; she wasn't quite sure how or when he had arranged this, but she felt her heart fill with warmth as she started to read the note that he had left her.

_My dearest Padmé,_

_I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to hold you last night, or bring you your rose myself. I asked Sola to bring it to you this morning so that you'd know that I was thinking about you._

_You'll never know how much I love you. I miss you so much. I'll be home soon, my love. I promise._

_I'll contact you just as soon as I can. Until then, know that my heart and my love are with you, and they always will be. Give our children my love and tell them I miss them, too._

_I love you always,_

_Anakin_

Padmé picked up the rose again and, closing her eyes, took another long, deep breath of its fragrant aroma. "I love you, too," she sighed softly, as she opened her eyes and looked at the rose with a thoughtful smile; she lay there quietly for a long time, looking fondly at the rose in her hand, until she heard the soft knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in," she called quietly, as she lifted herself up in her bed and turned toward the door.

The door opened, slowly, and she saw Ryoo's small face peer through the doorway at her, sheepishly. "Aunt Padmé?" he asked, quietly. "Can I come in?"

"Of course you can, Ryoo," Padmé said, as she leaned back against her pillow. She smiled at him as he stepped through the door, still clad in his pajamas, and then quietly closed it behind him.

Padmé watched her sandy haired nephew as he walked, slowly and thoughtfully, toward her bed. "Come on up here," Padmé sighed, as she patted the bed next to her. He jumped up on the bed, landing on his stomach, and then crawled up next to her, as she pulled Anakin's pillow up behind him and placed her arm around his small shoulders.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asked, squeezing his shoulders gently as he leaned close to her.

"I couldn't sleep," Ryoo said quietly, looking down at his small hands, as he clasped them tightly in his lap.

"What's wrong, Ryoo?" Padmé asked, as she reached up and gently stroked his sandy blond hair. He reminded her so much of Anakin when he was younger, in so many ways.

Ryoo looked up at her; she felt her heart ache, as she saw his eyes glistening as he looked up at her. "I miss Uncle Ani," Ryoo said, quietly. "I'm scared, Aunt Padmé."

"Oh, Ryoo," Padmé whispered softly, as she pulled him close and hugged him tightly. "Don't worry," she said, as he put his small arms tightly around her. "Your Uncle Anakin is going to be just fine, I promise," she said, and she kissed him gently on the top of his head.

"Are you sure?" Ryoo said, looking up at her as she gazed down at him fondly.

"Of course I'm sure," Padmé nodded, gently brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Your Uncle Anakin promised me that he was coming home soon." She looked at him, reaching down and lifting his solemn little face so she could see him better. "Hasn't he always done everything he's ever promised us?" Padmé asked, softly.

"Yes," Ryoo said, as he looked up at her, listening intently.

"And," Padmé said, as she smiled at her nephew, "Uncle Anakin is a very powerful Jedi Knight, you know. You've watched him practice, haven't you?"

"Uh huh," Ryoo said, the hint of a smile spreading across his young face. "He fights with two laser swords," he said, his smile widening. "He's the best Jedi ever."

"Well, that's why he had to go with Master Obi-Wan," Padmé nodded. "The Jedi need his help, very much. It's very important that he be there, and we have to be brave for him while he's gone, okay?"

"Okay," Ryoo said as he nodded his head, and looked up at her thoughtfully. "But I still miss him."

"I miss him too, Ryoo," Padmé said, as she hugged him again, tightly. "Very, very much."

"I know," Ryoo said, looking up at as she held him in her arms. "I could tell you were really sad last night."

"It's only because I love him so much, Ryoo," Padmé said softly, as she laid her head gently on his.

Ryoo took a deep, thoughtful breath as Padmé rubbed his back, gently. "You can come hug me whenever you feel sad," he said quietly, after a long pause. "If you need to, until Uncle Ani gets home."

Padmé squeezed her eyes shut, as she hugged her nephew tightly. "Thank you, Ryoo," she whispered quietly, as he squeezed her tightly for a long moment. "I may need to, a lot." She looked down at him as he smiled at her, and then leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "I know your Uncle Ani will be very proud of you," she said softly.

"I don't know how much help I'll be," Padmé said, as she brushed her hand through his hair playfully, "but why don't you and I see if we can work on your droid for a while tonight?" She smiled as she saw his face brighten. "Maybe we can surprise Uncle Ani when he gets home and have your droid say hello to him."

"Okay," Ryoo nodded. "That'd be neat."

Padmé smiled again as Ryoo leaned up and kissed her, quickly, on the cheek. She leaned back against her pillow, as she watched him climb down off the bed and start quietly toward the door. "See you at breakfast in a little while, okay?" she said, quietly, as he reached for the doorknob.

"Okay," Ryoo said, as he turned and looked at her once more; very quietly, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall, and then pulled the door shut behind him.

Padmé lay there quietly for a long time, turning her rose over thoughtfully in her hand, as she listened to the rain continue to fall softly against her bedroom window.

* * *

"How was she this morning?" Jobal asked quietly, as she poured herself another cup of coffee, and then placed the pot back on the top of the stove. She picked up her cup, and then turned and walked carefully back to the small kitchen table as Sola took a sip from her own.

"She was sleeping the last time I checked in on her," Sola said, gently placing her cup back on the table as her mother sat down at the table next to her. "I could tell she'd been crying," Sola continued, as her mother looked at her with a deeply concerned expression.

"I'm so worried about him," Jobal sighed, as she picked up the spoon beside her and slowly stirred her cup, thoughtfully.

"He'll be fine, Mom," Sola said, as she tried to brighten her own worried countenance, reaching over and squeezing her mother's arm comfortingly. "Do you know what the last thing he asked me last night before he left was?"

"No, what?" Jobal asked, as she looked up from her cup.

"He asked me if I would be sure to give Padmé her rose," Sola said softly, as her mother smiled back at her. "He handed me a note that he had written for her, and asked me to please be sure to remember to give it to her with her rose so she'd have them this morning."

"He was so worried about it," she said softly. "He made me promise not to forget. It was so sweet." Sola picked up her cup and held it for a moment, gently blowing over the top of the hot coffee in it. "I left them on his pillow for her this morning."

"He's never forgotten, not once," Jobal replied, as she stirred her cup another time or two, and then laid the spoon gently on the table.

"I remember when they had been married for just a month," Jobal continued. "Anakin came and asked me, the night before, if I would mind if he cut a rose for her again from the garden," she said, as Sola listened quietly. "I told him, 'honey, if you're cutting them to give to her, I don't care if you bring her the whole darn bush.'"

"You didn't know he would," Sola said, as they both laughed quietly together at the kitchen table.

"He has been, too," Jobal said, "a piece at a time. I had to plant three more rose bushes just to make sure he'd always have plenty to choose from."

"Padmé has every one of them, too," Jobal smiled, as she looked thoughtfully at Sola. "She's kept every single one of them."

"I don't think I've ever seen two people who love each other so much," Sola sighed, as she looked back at her mother thoughtfully. "I know this is hard on both of them."

"I know," Jobal said, nodding her head and placing her cup back on the table. "But they're facing it together, just like everything else," she said, with a long, thoughtful sigh.

They both sat quietly for a long moment, until they heard Padmé's soft footsteps coming down the hallway toward the kitchen.

They looked up, just in time to see her step into the doorway of the kitchen. "Good morning," Padmé said softly.

"Hey, baby sister," Sola said quietly, as she stood up from the table and met Padmé at the doorway, hugging her tightly. "How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm okay," Padmé said with a nod, as she smiled up at Sola as she released her from her hug. Padmé held her rose up where Sola could see it. "Is this your doing?" she asked, cocking one eyebrow slyly.

"No," Sola said, shaking her head and squeezing Padmé's shoulders tightly. "That was Anakin's doing. I just delivered it."

Padmé wrapped her arms around Sola's neck and hugged her again tightly. "Thank you, Sola," she said softly, as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "I don't know when you and Anakin planned that, but thank you so much."

"You didn't really think he'd forget, did you?" Sola asked softly, as Padmé smiled up at her.

"Are you hungry?" Jobal asked, as she stood up from the table and walked to the cabinet. "Sola and I were waiting on you to start breakfast."

"I am," Padmé said, and then looked down and rubbed her stomach. "At least," she said, looking back up at her mother and sister, "I think_ they_ are, anyway."

"Well, then," Jobal said, taking several large bowls down from the cabinet and placing them on the counter, "let's not keep them waiting."

"Ryoo's up," Padmé said, as she walked to the cupboard and fetched a cup for herself. "He came to see me a little while ago."

"He did?" Sola asked, as she turned and handed Padmé the pitcher of juice from the cooler. "What did he want?"

"He just came to check on me," Padmé sighed, as she poured herself a glass of juice. She sat the pitcher on the counter, and turned around and leaned back against the counter as she watched Sola take the container of flour from the cabinet and hand it to her mother.

"I think he was a little worried about Anakin," Padmé smiled at Sola, as she took a sip from her cup. "I think our little Jedi in training is planning on taking care of me till Anakin gets home."

"Well, you'll be in good hands, then," Jobal replied.

"Have you seen Dad this morning?" Padmé asked, as she sat her cup on the kitchen table and started to help Sola and her mother prepare breakfast.

"Yes," Jobal said, as she carefully measured the flour, placing it in the large mixing bowl on the counter in front of her. "He got up early this morning to go into the workshop."

"Did he take Threepio with him?" Padmé asked. "He and Anakin had been talking about taking him in to help. Now's as good a time as any."

"Yes, I think so," Jobal replied with a nod. "They left about an hour ago. He wanted to get a head start today." She smiled up at Padmé as she handed her the bowl of flour that she'd just finished measuring. "He said it'll take the both of them all day to do what Anakin does in a morning."

"Well, hopefully," Padmé said, as she took the bowl and placed it on the counter in front of her, "they won't have to make do without him for long." Padmé reached down and took a large spoon from the drawer near her. "I thought I might go and help him for a while today," she sighed. "It'll help keep me busy."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Sola said, as she handed Padmé the container of cold milk that she had just taken from the cooler.

"I just don't want to miss Anakin if he tries to contact us," Padmé said, as she took the container from Sola and sat it on the counter in front of her. "They should have made it to Coruscant a few hours ago," she said, quietly.

"Artoo's watching that transmitter round the clock," Sola said, as Padmé looked at her thoughtfully. "You can take the comlink with you, and if Anakin tries to call, Dad can run you home in a few minutes."

"Okay," Padmé nodded, turning back to the bowl in front of her. She picked up the container of milk and, pouring it slowly into the bowl, she picked up the spoon and stirred the mixture slowly, as her thoughts drifted toward him, wherever he was, so very far away.

* * *

"Owwww!"

Obi-Wan looked through the doorway of the medical examination room, just in time to see Anakin slap the little medical droid, anything but lightly, right on the back of its smooth, metal head, as the sharp sound of his hand on the back if its head rang through the medical lab.

"That hurt, you little rust bucket," Anakin growled with a painful expression; the little droid hovered back away from him quickly, as Anakin reached down and gingerly rubbed his leg where the unfortunate droid had attempted to fasten the dermal generator just above his wounded knee.

"I'm sorry, sir," M-3B responded, sympathetically, as he approached him again, slowly, as Anakin looked at the little droid with a wary frown as he hovered near his side. "Perhaps we should give the anesthetic another moment to work before we proceed."

Obi-Wan smiled as he walked into the examination room. "Now, Anakin," he chuckled, rubbing his newly mended arm gingerly as he walked slowly to Anakin's side, "it's going to take him a lot longer to get you healed up if you keep abusing him like that."

"Sorry, Master," Anakin said with a sheepish grin, as Obi-Wan walked up next to him. "How's your arm?" he asked, as he watched the little droid extend his slender, mechanical arms and, very gently, attempt to fasten the dermal generator to his leg again.

"It's a bit stiff," Obi-Wan said, as he swung it around a few times, gingerly. "But it's fine." He looked at Anakin, as he reclined back against the examination table. "Looks like they've just about got you mended up," Obi-Wan observed, looking down at Anakin's leg as the skeletal regenerators moved, smoothly, up and down along his lower leg, bathing it in a soft, blue glow.

"Almost," Anakin nodded, as he watched the little droid switch the dermal generators on near the deep gash above his knee, their green lights flashing smoothly as they began to hum softly. His thoughts drifted, for a moment, to the last time he had heard that familiar hum, the night that Beru had tended Padmé's wounded shoulder. "Padmé wouldn't be very impressed with me right now," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "She had four of these things on her at once, and she didn't have any anesthetic."

"Well, I won't say a word," Obi-Wan said, patting Anakin gently on the shoulder. "You came out a little worse for wear in that landing of ours than I did. It's only natural that it'll take them just a little longer to put you back together again."

"By the way," Obi-Wan said, as he looked at Anakin proudly. "That was an exceptional bit of piloting, bringing that ship in the way you did," he said. "You saved a lot of lives today."

"I'm just sorry we couldn't bring Dooku in for questioning," Anakin said with a resigned sigh, as he watched the little medical droid turn and putter across the examination room to the supply cabinet. "Or whoever it was that killed him."

"I know," Obi-Wan said, turning his own eyes toward the smoothly moving skeletal regenerators as they worked on Anakin's wounded leg. He took a long, deep breath, and stood quietly for a long moment.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, looking at his companion thoughtfully, "I've been thinking. It must have been Sidious who killed Dooku and took the Chancellor," he said, as Anakin looked at him intently. "It's the only thing that makes any sense."

Anakin sat quietly for a moment, as he watched the little medical droid return and gently begin to apply some medication to the gash above his knee. He winced, slightly, as the little droid applied the medication; it stung, but only a little. "Sorry, sir," the little droid replied quickly, drifting quickly away as he saw Anakin flinch.

"It okay," Anakin nodded, as he motioned for the little droid to continue. "And I'm sorry I slapped you a few minutes ago."

"That's quite all right, sir," the little droid replied, as he gently went back to work on Anakin's leg.

Anakin turned his mind back to Obi-Wan's theory. "I don't think so, Master," Anakin finally said after a long pause, as he turned and looked back at Obi-Wan. "Though I admit," he said, thoughtfully, "that it makes perfect sense."

"You don't think that's the case?" Obi-Wan said, looking at his former padawan intently as Anakin turned a deeply troubled face toward him.

"It's a perfect fit," Anakin said, nodding his head thoughtfully. "Sidious kills count Dooku so we can't interrogate him, and then escapes with Chancellor Palpatine while General Grievous keeps us busy."

"And then," Anakin continued, "we're left with nothing to go on except a huge mess in the Senate while the separatists try to barter the Republic's surrender with Palpatine's life."

"Exactly," Obi-Wan said with an attentive nod. "So what's wrong with the picture?"

"Whoever it was that took the Chancellor, Master," Anakin said, looking at Obi-Wan, deeply thoughtful, "I don't believe he was Sidious." Anakin paused for a long moment, as he took a deep, thoughtful breath.

"But," Anakin said, his expression deeply troubled, "Sidious was in that room."

Obi-Wan listened to his young friend with rapt attention as he continued. "Just before we entered that room, Master, when you were cutting through the door," Anakin said, "I felt that same tremor I felt the day I left the Senate building four years ago."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked, his own expression growing more troubled as he began to sense, instinctively, where Anakin's thoughts, and the Force, were leading him.

"Positive," Anakin said with a nod. "It was the same feeling that I've sensed since then, too, only much, much stronger."

"But if you're certain that Sidious was in that room, and that Dooku's killer wasn't Sidious," Obi-Wan said, looking at Anakin, his own expression growing more troubled by the second, "then that would mean..."

"Chancellor Palpatine," Anakin said, looking intently at Obi-Wan and nodding his head slowly.

Obi-Wan leaned back and took a long, deep breath, as the magnitude of what Anakin was suggesting to him began to take shape in his mind.

"I don't know how I know, Master," Anakin said as Obi-Wan folded his arms tightly over his chest and looked at his young friend intently, "but I'm sure of it. Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious."

"I'm not doubting you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, extending his hand and squeezing Anakin's shoulder firmly, "but if what you say is true, then obviously, whoever it was who killed Dooku would be working for Sidious."

"Agreed," Anakin said, nodding his head and looking back at Obi-Wan.

"But we saw the one who killed Dooku take the Chancellor from the room, quite forcefully," Obi-Wan continued, his brow furrowing as he tilted his head and looked at Anakin intently.

"We were meant to think that," Anakin said, looking back down at the medical droid as he continued to tend to his wounded knee. "Assuming that we managed to survive and get off the ship, that is."

"So that, if we did survive and returned to the Council," Obi-Wan said, quietly, "we would tell them that we had seen the Chancellor taken prisoner."

Anakin nodded and started to respond, but, just at that moment, Obi-Wan's comlink beeped loudly. He watched as Obi-Wan reached under his cloak, retrieving the small device from his belt, and pressed the button on the side.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, still rolling the mind-numbing possibility that Anakin had suggested over in his mind.

_"Obi-Wan?"_ Anakin heard Mace Windu's voice call over the comlink. _"I trust that you and Anakin are receiving proper treatment?"_

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said, as he looked back at Anakin with a smile. "I'm fine, and they're treating Anakin's leg as we speak."

_"Excellent,_" Mace Windu replied. _"I thought you might like to tell Anakin that not a single life was lost when the Invisible Hand went down earlier. We have his piloting skills to thank for that."_

"That's wonderful news, Master," Obi-Wan said, as he saw Anakin look up at him. "I know that Anakin will be pleased to hear that."

_"As were we,_" Mace Windu said. _"How much longer until the two of you can leave the infirmary?"_

Obi-Wan looked at the medical droid that tended to Anakin's leg. "At least another hour, sir," the little droid responded, turning his attention to Obi-Wan. "The fracture to his tibia was significant and needs to heal completely before he returns to active duty."

"At least another hour, Master," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention back to the comlink.

_"Very well,"_ Mace said. _"You'll have to leave Anakin there for the time being, then. We need you to meet us as soon as possible at the Temple."_

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged glances for a moment, and then Obi-Wan turned his attention back to the comlink in his hand. "Of course, Master," Obi-Wan said. "I can pick Anakin up later. What's going on?"

"_We received welcome news only a few moments ago,_" Mace said. _"Chancellor Palpatine has apparently escaped from the separatists. The Council is meeting with him in half an hour. We need you to join us."_

Obi-Wan turned and looked at the concerned frown that spread quickly over Anakin's face. "Escaped?" Obi-Wan said, turning his attention back to the comlink. "But how? Anakin and I saw him taken off of the _Invisible Hand,_ or, at least we assumed he was, just before it went down." Obi-Wan paused for a moment, as he looked back at Anakin. "We weren't even certain he'd gotten off the ship."

_"Apparently_," Mace said, _"the Chancellor managed to escape from his abductors and leave the ship via one of the escape pods."_

Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin; Anakin said nothing, but shook his head slowly, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

_"In either case,_" Mace Windu continued, as they turned their attention back to the comlink, _"we feel the time has come to speak with the Chancellor about relinquishing his emergency powers and dismantling the Republic Army. Now that Dooku is dead, we feel that the Clone Wars may be coming to an end."_

Obi-Wan and Anakin both listened intently as Mace continued. "_Since Dooku's death, the separatists have broken off their attacks,"_ he said. "_Only a few systems remain to be liberated. The violence may soon be over."_

_"Meet us in Master Yoda's chambers in ten minutes,_" Mace Windu said. "_We will go from there to the Chancellor's office."_

"Understood, Master," Obi-Wan said, and he looked at the comlink thoughtfully as it beeped and fell silent.

"There's no way," Anakin said, shaking his head again as Obi-Wan looked at him intently. "The Sith that took him off of that ship was extremely well trained in the Jedi arts," Anakin said. "There's no way that Palpatine could have simply escaped from him."

"It all fits, Master," Anakin continued. "Dooku told you that the Senate was under Sidious' control," he said. "Maybe he was telling you the truth, since he knew that the Council would never believe it."

Obi-Wan nodded, slowly, as he returned the comlink to his belt and folded his arms over his chest thoughtfully. "The first thing he did, when the Senate granted him emergency powers was build an army," Obi-Wan said, looking back at Anakin.

"If you're right, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, "It's a fair bet that he's not going to want to relinquish that power, now that he has it."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin intently; he knew how strongly the Force was with him now. Anakin was an extremely powerful Jedi, no longer the angry, ambitious young padawan he was so long ago. Anakin's life revolved around Padmé, yet he had been willing to leave her, to leave all that he held dear and loved, to come and help him. Even more, she had been willing to send him, at a time when she needed him most. He trusted Anakin now, as much, or more, than he trusted anyone.

"Anakin," he said quietly, looking at his former padawan with a deeply serious expression, "I trust your judgment. If you tell me you're certain of this, I believe you."

"I am, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head firmly. "The Force is telling me that Chancellor Palpatine is the Dark Lord of the Sith."

"And whoever it was who killed Dooku," Obi-Wan said quietly, "would take Dooku's place as his apprentice."

"Master Yoda always said that there were always two," Anakin said, looking at Obi-Wan intently. "No more, and no less."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, slowly, and then reached over and squeezed Anakin's shoulder firmly. "You stay here and get that leg tended to," he said, nodding his head. "I'll go and speak with Master Yoda and the other members of the Council before we meet with the Chancellor." He paused for a moment, and then smiled at Anakin approvingly. "And tell them what we believe."

Anakin smiled back at him. "Thank you, Master," he said, nodding at Obi-Wan respectfully. "Thank you for believing me."

"I'll be back soon," Obi-Wan said as he turned and tossed the hood of his cloak over his head.

"Be careful, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, as he watched Obi-Wan turn to leave. "I sense something," he said, as Obi-Wan looked back at him. "Something doesn't feel right."

"I will," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon as I can."

"While you're mending," Obi-Wan said, turning back to Anakin as he made his way toward the door, "why don't you give Padmé a call and let her know you're all right? I'm sure she's worried about you."

"I will," Anakin said with a nod.

"And for goodness' sake," Obi-Wan said, turning as he reached the door and waving his hand with a frown, "don't tell her I let you get banged up that badly. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Not a word, Master," Anakin chuckled, as he watched Obi-Wan turn and walk out of the examination room. He looked back toward the medical droid as it continued to tend to his leg, and leaned back on the examination table, crossing his arms over his chest thoughtfully. He took a long, deep breath, as his mind drifted back to the dark, hooded figure he had encountered on the ship.

Hard as he tried, he still couldn't get that terrifying face out of his mind.

* * *

Obi-Wan walked briskly down the long ornate hallway, the sound of his boots echoing loudly off the smooth, arched walls of the Jedi Temple as he made his way quickly toward Master Yoda's audience chamber.

The cold realization of what Anakin had told him was still sinking in; if his young friend was right, and he truly believed he was, then what Dooku had told him so long ago was true, and the events of the past fourteen years began to take on a whole new, sinister meaning.

It all made frightening sense, the more that he thought about it, as he had rolled those events over in his mind. He only hoped, as he rounded the corner of the corridor and walked toward the tall, arching doors of Master Yoda's audience chamber, that he could persuade the senior members of the Council to see what he and Anakin now truly believed to be the dark truth about Chancellor Palpatine.

* * *

Mace Windu and Yoda turned from their position near the center of the room as the doors to Yoda's chambers opened, and they watched as Obi-Wan entered and then turned and closed the door behind him.

"Welcome back, Obi-Wan," Mace said, as Obi-Wan turned and walked toward him, tossing the hood of his cloak onto his shoulders as he walked.

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan said, stopping and bowing politely as he approached them. "I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting," he said, apologetically.

"Not at all," Mace said, and he reached over and squeezed Obi-Wan's arm firmly. "How's Anakin?"

Obi-Wan smiled as he took a long, deep breath. "He's doing fine, Master," he said, nodding his head and placing his hands on the belt at his waist. "Although, he was giving the medical droid that was treating him a bit of hard time just before I left him."

"Understandable, that is," Yoda said, as he rested his small hands on his cane and looked up at Obi-Wan with a nod. "Fortunate, you both were," he said, "that injured more seriously, you were not."

"Indeed," Ki-Adi Mundi said, as he walked across the room from his place near the window to join them. "It is a welcome relief to see you unharmed," he said, bowing his tall head at Obi-Wan approvingly. "When we first received news that the _Invisible Hand_ had gone down, we feared the worst."

"If it hadn't been for Anakin," Obi-Wan nodded, "those fears would have been well founded."

"I look forward to seeing him soon," Ki-At-Mundi replied, and then he turned his attention back to Mace Windu. "The appointed time approaches," he said. "We must be on our way to the Chancellor's office."

"Masters," Obi-Wan said, as the three senior Council members turned their eyes and attention toward him, "before we go, there's something that we need to discuss."

"Can it wait until we return, Obi-Wan?" Mace asked, as Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi considered him thoughtfully.

"No, Master," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. "It's extremely urgent that we discuss it now, before the meeting."

Mace and Yoda looked at each other, somewhat curiously, for a moment. "Very well," Mace said with something of a sigh, as he turned and gestured to the small circle of chairs in the center of Yoda's chambers. Obi-Wan followed the three Jedi Masters to the center of Yoda's brightly lit chambers, and he took a seat next to Yoda, as Mace and Ki-Adi Mundi took their places across from them.

Yoda leaned his small cane next to his chair; he turned and looked attentively at Obi-Wan, as he watched him lean forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees as he folded his hands in front of him.

"Something deeply troubles you, Obi-Wan," Yoda said, as he contemplated Obi-Wan's concerned expression for a long moment. "An urgent matter, this must be."

"Yes, Master, it is," Obi-Wan acknowledged, dipping his head slightly as he turned his attention to the tiny Jedi Master. "Very urgent, indeed."

* * *

"Miss Padmé," Threepio said, as he walked stiffly through the front door of the shop, the two large containers of parts balanced carefully in his metal arms, "the parts that Master Ruwee was expecting have arrived."

"Oh, good," Padmé said, as she looked up from the computer display where she worked and watched him as he walked slowly toward her. "Just take them in the back, Threepio," she said. "I think Dad's waiting on them."

Padmé watched him as he turned sideways and, very gingerly, worked himself and the two large containers through the narrow doorway and headed back into the shop where her father was working.

She turned her attention back to the desk, picking up the small, handheld data pad and studying it closely, as she compared it to the large display that sat on the desk in front of her.

It had been quite some time since she had come in and helped Anakin and her father with the books, and it showed; she smiled to herself as she worked quickly, making short work of the huge backlog of paperwork, balancing transactions and correcting inventory logs. Anakin's skills as a repairman were unmatched, and her father was an accomplished salesman and quite handy in the shop himself, but neither one of them seemed to be able to remember to keep the books up to date. They had been a mess indeed, when she had arrived earlier this morning; she had found that she had her work cut out for her.

"Honestly, Dad," Padmé called, as she transferred several more transactions into the main system and reconciled them against their parts inventory, "I don't see how you and Anakin can manage to get these books so messed up."

"What's that, sweetheart?" Ruwee said, as he walked through the doorway and came and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder and squinting at the display as he wiped his hands on the greasy rag he had taken from his pocket.

"These books," Padmé said, looking over her shoulder at him with a playfully disgusted expression. "I don't see how in the world you and Anakin manage to make such a mess of them."

"Well, now," Ruwee said with a sheepish smile, as he watched her turn in her chair and look at him suspiciously, folding her arms across her chest, "it's not that we try to make a mess of them," he said. Padmé snorted, playfully, and she cocked her head and looked at him, the corner of her mouth drawn up in a sly smile.

"Now, don't look at me like that," Ruwee started to laugh, as he held his dirty hands up in front of him defensively. "You know that Anakin and I don't much care for all of that management and mathematical stuff."

"Oh, don't give me that," Padmé laughed back at him. "You've been a businessman all of your life, and Anakin can do more math in an hour than most people can do in a day!"

Ruwee smiled, as he watched her shake her head and look back at the display in front of her; he could tell she was enjoying herself immensely, in spite of what she told him. He leaned down close to her, as she picked up the data pad and looked at it again.

"The truth is," Ruwee whispered softly by her ear, as she stopped and smiled as she listened to him, "is that you're just so much smarter and better at that management stuff than we are, so we just save it for you."

Padmé laughed loudly, as she touched the keypad and transferred another group of inventory records into the main system. "Don't forget, my dear father," she said, smiling broadly, never taking her eyes off the display, "that I was a senator in the Republic for a long time, and I know a con artist when I see and hear one."

"And the truth is," Padmé laughed, turning her head so that she could whisper in his ear, "is that you're just as poor a con artist as Anakin is, and you're both just lazy when it comes to paperwork." She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "But I love you both anyway."

"Yes, ma'am," Ruwee laughed as he stood up, patting her gently on the shoulder, and he turned around and started back into the workshop again.

Padmé had only been working for a few moments when she heard the telltale beep of the comlink in the pocket of her dress. She laid the data pad down on the desk, and quickly pulled the small, shiny device from her pocket and pressed the button.

She heard the quiet chirp as the com channel opened on the other end. _"Padmé?_" she heard Sola's voice call.

"Yes, Sola," Padmé said, listening to her sister's voice intently. "I'm here. What is it?"

_"Artoo just came in the house, beeping and whistling like there's no tomorrow,"_ Sola said excitedly. _"I knew what he wanted, but we found the display in your room just to make sure,"_ she said. _"Anakin just called."_

Ruwee walked back through the door and listened attentively as Padmé turned in her chair toward him. "What did he say?" she said, her expression a mixture of excitement and concern. "Is Artoo talking to him now?"

_"Artoo says that Anakin said to tell you he's just fine, and that they're on Coruscant,"_ Sola said. _"Artoo told him where you were, and he said that he'd call again in just a little while."_

Ruwee looked at Padmé and smiled as he saw his youngest daughter's face brighten. _"So,_" Sola said cheerfully over the comlink, _"your husband will be calling shortly, my lady. You might want to come on home,_" Sola chucked, _"or would you rather I just tell him you're busy and take a message?"_

"Don't you dare," Padmé exclaimed, standing up quickly. She turned and switched the display off, and placed the data pad in the drawer underneath the desk. "I'll be home in a few minutes. Tell Artoo to keep him online if he calls."

_"Okay,_" Sola laughed in reply. _"But be careful coming home. Anakin said that he'd give you plenty of time to get here, so take your time."_

"I will," Padmé said. "I'll see you soon." She looked at the comlink as it beeped again and fell silent, and then returned it to her pocket.

Padmé turned and looked at her father, as he stood grinning at her in the doorway. "Go," he said, as he reached into his pocket and tossed her the enabler key for his speeder. Padmé caught it, and looked back at him with a bright smile. "Just tell Sola to come and pick me up in time for dinner," he said.

"Thanks, Daddy," Padmé said, as she walked quickly to her father's side. "I will, I promise." She leaned up and kissed him gently, and then turned and walked quickly toward the door.

"Oh," Padmé said, as she turned quickly and looked back at her father. "Could you and Threepio remember to bring home those parts I pulled for Ryoo's droid when you come home? I promised him I'd spend some time with him tonight," she said, as she turned back and reached for the door.

"I sure will," Ruwee nodded. "I'll box them up now and put them on the counter where we won't forget them."

"And tell Anakin I said he better be careful," Ruwee called after her, as Padmé opened the door; she turned and looked back at her father with a smile, and then walked quickly out of the door and toward the speeder.

"Well, Threepio," Ruwee said with a sigh, as he turned and patted the tall, silver droid on the shoulder, as he stood looking through the doorway behind him. "Box up those parts right quick for Padmé, and then let's get back to work. We still have a lot to do today."

"Yes, Master Ruwee," Threepio said obediently, and he picked up a small box from the floor near him, and then turned and followed Ruwee back into the workshop.

* * *

Mace Windu stood up, his countenance deeply concerned, as he walked slowly toward the window of Master Yoda's chambers. He looked out over the city for a long moment, watching as the transports and speeders wove in and out of the buildings and sky lanes below them.

"A great deal was happening on that ship, and in that room, Obi-Wan," Mace said, finally, as he turned and looked back at his friend as he sat next to Master Yoda. "Perhaps Anakin was mistaken."

"I don't believe so, Master," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head slowly. "Anakin said that he clearly sensed the Dark Lord's presence in that room."

"And we believe that he was," Mace said, as he turned and looked back out of the window. "Sidous must have been the one that killed Count Dooku. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"I agree that it looks that way on the surface, Master," Obi-Wan said, respectfully, "but Anakin confronted Dooku's killer before he escaped. He would have known if he were Sidous."

"If Chancellor Palpatine were the Dark Lord of the Sith," Mace said, turning and looking back at Obi-Wan, "we would have sensed it long ago."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, turning a deeply thoughtful expression toward Master Windu, "difficult to see, the Dark Side is," he said, slowly. "Perhaps," he continued, "able to sense more of the Dark Side than we are, young Skywalker is."

"Count Dooku told me long ago that Sidous was in control of the Senate," Obi-Wan said, as the three Jedi Masters considered him as he spoke. "Palpatine used the Trade Federation invasion fourteen years ago to have himself installed as Chancellor, by manipulating Queen Amidala."

"Manipulating her?" Mace asked, regarding Obi-Wan with a puzzled expression. "How?"

"Padmé was young then, and relatively inexperienced," Obi-Wan said. "But she wasn't naïve; Chancellor Valorum was one of her strongest supporters. If Senator Palpatine hadn't persuaded her that calling for a vote of no confidence in Valorum would help end the Trade Federation's blockade, she would never have done it."

"Go on," Ki-Ati said, nodding his tall head slowly as he listened to Obi-Wan intently.

"Ten years later, as Naboo's senator," Obi-Wan continued, "Senator Amidala is one of the strongest, most outspoken supporters of using peace and negotiation to deal with the separatists, opposing every resolution that comes before the Senate that even hints of a military solution."

"So, suddenly," Obi-Wan said, leaning back in his chair for a moment as he spoke, "Padmé finds her life threatened by repeated assassination attempts. They grow so frequent that Anakin and I are summoned to oversee her protection, and the only way we're able to guarantee her safety is for her to take a leave of absence so that we can place her in hiding."

"And if I remember correctly," Obi-Wan said, as he turned and looked back at Master Windu, "it was Chancellor Palpatine who insisted on providing her with extra security."

"Yes, I remember," Mace Windu said, folding his arms thoughtfully behind his back and taking a step closer to his companions. "She resisted his suggestion, but he was adamant that she comply and accept the additional security. He even specifically recommended you, since you and Anakin had been with her during the Trade Federation invasion."

"So, Senator Amidala's assistant, Jar Jar Binks," Obi-Wan continued, "one of the kindest, most naïve Gungans in the galaxy, is naturally appointed to take Padmé's place in the Senate during her absence," Obi-Wan said, as he watched Mace Windu's expression grow more concerned by the moment. "And, who happens to call for the amendment to grant the Chancellor the emergency power that he now has, the power he used to place the Clone Army into service for the Republic?"

"Jar Jar Binks," Ki-Adi Mundi said, turning and looking back at Mace Windu, his thick, white eyebrows raised suspiciously as he spoke.

"No other Senator was willing to call for that amendment," Obi-Wan said, as they turned and looked back at him. "Indeed, had Senator Amidala still been there, she would have completely opposed even the suggestion of it."

"It's all too much of a coincidence, Masters," Obi-Wan said, as the three senior Council members listened to him intently. "Anakin goes to visit the Chancellor just before he leaves for Naboo, and senses something deeply disturbing on his way out."

"Now, four years later," Obi-Wan continued, "he senses the same thing in that room onboard the _Invisible Hand_, and he and I enter to find Dooku fighting with a mysterious Sith, who kills Dooku before we can capture him and escapes with the Chancellor."

"Anakin said that whoever it was who killed Dooku was extremely well trained and powerful," Obi-Wan said, looking at his companions, his expression deeply serious. "It just doesn't make sense that someone of Chancellor Palpatine's limited physical skills would be able to escape unaided from a Sith, especially if that Sith were the Dark Lord," he said. "And do so completely unharmed."

"If what you and Anakin believe is true," Ki-Adi Mundi said, thoughtfully, "then Dooku's killer would take his place as the Dark Lord's new apprentice."

"That's correct, Master," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head affirmatively. "I'm certain that we haven't seen the last of him."

"This is a serious accusation, Obi-Wan," Mace said, as he walked slowly across the room to join his companions where they sat. "I must admit, you paint a convincing picture, but we will need proof, if we are to bring this claim before the Council."

"Indeed," Ki-Adi Mundi said, nodding his head. "If we go before the Senate and claim that the Supreme Chancellor is the Dark Lord without sufficient proof, it could cause as much damage as if he had been turned over to the separatists."

"I agree," Yoda said with a thoughtful nod, from his seat beside Obi-Wan. "Proof we must have of this accusation," he said, "or confront the Chancellor, we cannot."

Obi-Wan sat quietly for a long moment. "You plan to ask the Chancellor to lay aside his emergency powers and begin dismantling the Republic Army, is that correct, Master?" Obi-Wan asked finally, turning his attention back to Master Windu.

"That is correct," Mace said, with a nod. "Now that Dooku is dead, we believe that we have an opportunity to bring peace and negotiation back to the Senate to resolve the separatist crisis."

"If Anakin and I are correct," Obi-Wan said, as his three companions listened intently, "then I'm willing to gamble that the Chancellor will resist our recommendation, or reject it completely out of hand."

"That would be a logical assumption," Ki-Adi Mundi said, turning his attention back to Mace and Yoda. "If the Chancellor truly does believe that peace and democracy are paramount, he should not resist us."

"And if he does," Mace said, nodding his head thoughtfully, "then we must bring this before the whole Council and attempt to find proof to back up Anakin's theory."

Mace sat quietly for a long moment, looking over the tops of his bridged fingers at his companions. "Very well," Mace Windu said, thoughtfully. "I believe that it is time that we go and meet with the good Chancellor."

"We must be cautious," Ki-Adi Mundi said, as the four of them stood up, quietly from their chairs. "If the Chancellor is the Dark Lord, we do not wish to alert him to our suspicions."

"Agreed," Mace Windu said, adjusting his cloak on his shoulders. "We must bury our feelings, deeply," he said as he looked at his companions. "We do not wish to tip our hand to him if he truly is the Dark Lord."

"Obi-Wan," Yoda said, looking up at his friend thoughtfully as he rested his hands on his cane, "where is young Skywalker now?"

"He should be at my residence shortly, Master, if he isn't already," Obi-Wan said, as he adjusted his own cloak. "I contacted him on the way over here and suggested that he go there. He was going to catch a transport as soon as his treatment was complete." Obi-Wan looked at Yoda thoughtfully as he lifted his hood up over his head. "I told him it might be a good idea if he used the secure com system there to contact Padmé and let her know he was all right. I told him I'd join him later."

Yoda nodded his head, and then looked up at Mace Windu. "Go with you in my place, Obi-Wan will," Yoda said, as Mace turned his gaze toward the diminutive Jedi master. "Meet with young Skywalker, I will, and discuss with him what he has revealed to us."

"Very well," Mace said, as he tossed his hood up over his head. "We will contact you as soon as our meeting with the Chancellor is complete."

"May the Force be with you," Yoda nodded, as he watched his three companions turn and walk out of his audience chamber. He took a long, deep breath, and then walked toward the window, turning his deeply troubled countenance toward the bright, afternoon sky, gazing off into the distance.

He wasn't the only one now, it seemed, who had sensed the deeply troubling tremor in the Force. It hung, looming like a dark elusive storm, just beyond their sight, but it was there, nonetheless, and it was growing. He looked out of the window for a long moment, and then turned and walked slowly toward the door to his chamber, as his cane echoed lightly off the smooth marble walls as he made his way out of the room and down the long hallway of the Temple.

* * *

"Artoo?" Padmé called, as she walked quickly up the rear entrance deck of their ship and made her way toward the cockpit.

Artoo spun his sensor dome toward her, beeping and whistling excitedly at her from his place at the communications console. Padmé took the display from her pocket, and looked at it as she tossed her cloak onto the long, padded bench at the back of the cockpit.

Padmé smiled as she read the tiny display that she held in her hand as she walked over next to the little astrodroid. "Yes, I'm excited too, Artoo," Padmé said, as she looked at the little droid with a smile. "Did Anakin say when he'd contact you again?"

Padmé looked at the display again, as a long string of beeps and whistles ensued. "That should be any minute," Padmé said, as she reached into her pocket. "And yes," she said, "I have it right here."

She pulled the small, circular signal encrypter from her pocket that she had brought from her bedroom. "As soon as he signals, Artoo," she said, as she sat down on the bench and placed the encrypter in the slot on the holographic transmitter, "go ahead and open the com channel, okay?"

Padmé leaned back against the bench and took a long, deep breath, as Artoo whistled in reply. She had hurried home, as safely as she could, and she was anxious to talk to him and see his face; her dream from last night still bothered her, and she wanted to see for herself that he was indeed all right.

She looked quickly at the small translator display in her hand, as Artoo began to beep and whistle wildly as he swung his dome toward her again. "Well, hurry up," she said, as she nodded to the little droid. "Don't keep him waiting!"

She felt her heart begin to flutter excitedly as the lights in the ship's cabin began to dim, and then, with a bright flicker or two, Anakin's brightly smiling, green tinted image appeared above the holographic emitters.

* * *

The lights in Obi-Wan's quarters dimmed, bathing the room in a soft glow as her familiar, lovely image appeared above the holographic communication pad in front of him.

"You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl in the universe," Anakin said with a long, deep sigh, "even over a less than stellar com channel."

She laughed, as she leaned closer to the transmitter. _"Hey, sweetheart,"_ Padmé smiled back brightly at him, as he sat in the chair in front of Obi-Wan's com console. _"How is everything? Are you all right?"_

"Except for missing you terribly," Anakin smiled quietly, "I'm doing fine."

_"I miss you too, Ani, very much,"_ Padmé replied warmly._ "I've been so worried about you."_

"How are you feeling," Anakin asked, his face a little more concerned, "and how are our little ones?"

Anakin smiled, as he watched her pat her stomach gently. _"They're just fine,_" she said. _"They were quiet for a while after you left last night, but they've been making up for it today."_

"They've been active today, huh?" Anakin asked, and he laughed as he saw her stick her tongue out playfully.

_"Oh, yes,_" Padmé said, holding her round stomach playfully. _"Ever since breakfast. They haven't stopped all day."_

"We're going to have our hands full when they get here," Anakin laughed, "and I can't wait."

"By the way," Anakin asked, "did you have something waiting on you when you woke up this morning?" He smiled as he saw her face light up as soon as he asked.

_"Yes, I did,"_ Padmé smiled, softly. _"And I needed it very much. Thank you, sweetheart. The rose and the note are by our bed so I can see them again tonight when I go to sleep. I'm keeping them there until you get home."_

"Tell Sola I said thank you for remembering for me, okay?" Anakin said. "I'm just sorry I wasn't there to give them to you myself." Anakin paused, as he looked at her lovingly for a long moment. "I miss you, Padmé," he said, softly.

_"I know,_" Padmé replied with a deep sigh. _"I miss you too, Ani, so very much. You'll be home soon, though."_

"The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned," Anakin said quietly.

_"So,_" Padmé said, taking a deep breath, _"what's been going on? Tell me everything, even the parts I may not like, like how badly you were hurt."_

"Well, there's a lot..." Anakin paused for a moment, and looked at her, a puzzled smile on his face. "Wait a minute," he said, looking at her thoughtfully. "How did you know about that?"

_"How do you think?_" Padmé said, smiling back at him slyly. _"But I knew you were, and we can talk about that in a minute. You start, from the beginning."_

"Well," Anakin said, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully and propping his boots up on the console in front of him, "Quite a bit's happened. Do you have a while?"

_"I've got a padded bench, an Artoo unit to keep the signal up, and all the time in the world for you, my love,_" Padmé said, and Anakin laughed as he watched her lean back against the bench of their ship.

"_So,"_ Padmé said, smiling brightly as she made herself comfortable on the soft, padded bench of their ship and folding her arms across her chest. _"Start talking, sweetheart."_


	5. Confrontations

_**Chapter 5: Confrontations**_

Chancellor Palpatine turned his chair from the window, slowly, and watched as the door to his chambers opened; he smiled, somewhat meekly, as he watched the three Jedi Masters walk toward him, as the door slowly closed behind them.

"Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said, rising slowly to his feet from behind his desk and walking to meet the entourage from the Council near the center of his chambers. "How pleasant to see you again."

"It's good to see you in good health and unharmed, Chancellor," Mace Windu smiled, as he tossed the hood of his cloak onto his shoulders and bowed politely to the Chancellor as he approached them.

"And what a pleasure to see you again as well, Master Kenobi," Chancellor Palpatine said, "and you, Master Mundi," as the two Jedi masters lowered their own hoods and bowed politely in return.

"Thank you, your Excellency," Obi-Wan nodded. "It was a great relief, indeed, to hear that you had escaped and were unharmed."

"Good fortune was on my side, it seems," Chancellor Palpatine replied with a smile, as he gestured to the row of chairs in front of his desk. "Please, gentlemen," he said politely, "sit, and be comfortable."

"Thank you, your Excellency," Mace Windu said, and the three of them took their seats quietly, as they watched Chancellor Palpatine walk back to his chair behind his desk.

"So," Palpatine said, as he took his seat and leaned back in his chair, "to what great need do I owe the pleasure of this visit this afternoon?"

"We've come to discuss a matter of grave importance, your Excellency," Mace said, as he leaned forward in his chair and folded his hands thoughtfully.

"Then, by all means," Chancellor Palpatine said, "please continue."

"I'm sure that you've been made aware that the Separatists have broken off their attacks against our clone forces in the last several hours," Mace said, as he leaned back in his chair and looked at Chancellor Palpatine thoughtfully.

"Yes," Palpatine said, nodding his head. "I had received news of this, just a short time ago. It was welcome news, indeed."

"We feel the same, your Excellency," Mace continued. "We on the Council feel that the death of Count Dooku may have left the Separatists unorganized and disheartened," he said. "Count Dooku was an exceptional organizer and planner. His loss may leave them vulnerable and willing to negotiate."

"I suppose that is a possibility," Chancellor Palpatine said, folding his hands thoughtfully, as he regarded Mace with keen interest.

"We feel that the time has come for us to try to bring the Clone Wars to an end," Mace continued, as he watched the Chancellor study him with ever increasing interest. "The time to shift our attention away from military force and back to peace and diplomacy has returned."

"What, exactly, is it that you're suggesting, Master Windu?" Palpatine asked, a look of keen interest on his face.

"We feel the time has come for you to surrender your emergency power and return control to the Senate, where it belongs," Mace said, as he leaned back and bridged his fingertips thoughtfully. "And to recall and begin dismantling the Clone Army."

"The Separatist leaders are vulnerable now, Chancellor," Ki-Adi said, as the Chacellor turned to regard him as he spoke. "If you extend a gesture of peace and goodwill by recalling and dismantling the Republic army, then they may be willing to bring the war to and end, and begin dismantling their own."

Chancellor Palpatine turned his attention to Obi-Wan, as he sat quietly next to Mace Windu. "And you, Master Kenobi," Palpatine said, "do you agree with your esteemed associates?"

"I do, your Excellency," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "If there is any hope of bringing this war to and end, and quickly, then we must move now to restore control to the Senate, so that peace negotiations can begin."

Palpatine nodded his head, slowly, and then turned his chair and looked out of the window of his chambers for a long moment. Finally, he stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the city that stretched out far below them.

"Gentlemen," Palpatine said, his back still to them as he spoke, "I appreciate your candor and your willingness to come and speak with me," he said, as he turned slowly toward them, folding his hands quietly behind his back.

"But," Palpatine said, as he looked up at the three Jedi who sat before him, "I'm afraid that I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of the current situation."

"Count Dooku is dead, yes," Palpatine said, as he took another step toward the three Jedi who watched him intently as he spoke. "But I do not feel that the threat of attack has diminished enough to warrant the dismantling of the Republic clone army at this time."

Mace turned a concerned expression to Ki-Adi as the Chancellor continued. "The Republic has changed," Palpatine said. "The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates who have no desire to work together for the common good. Their only concern," he said, "is to line their own pockets, and those of their conspirators."

"If I were to return control to the Senate and recall our forces at this time," Chancellor Palpatine said, turning and walking slowly back toward his chair, "our unified front would fail, and we would be overrun by the droid arms of the Federation in a matter of weeks."

"No," Palpatine said after a pause, shaking his head as he took his seat and leaned back thoughtfully, "I'm afraid that I must maintain emergency control of our forces for the time being."

Obi-Wan turned and looked quietly at Mace Windu, as the Jedi Master looked at him for a long moment.

"With all due respect, your Excellency," Mace said, turning a deeply concerned expression toward the Chancellor, "that is a decision that should be made by the Senate."

"The entire Council is in agreement on this matter, your Excellency," Ki-Adi said, as Palpatine turned his attention toward him. "In our judgment, the time to return to peace and diplomacy has arrived."

"I understand," the Chancellor said, nodding his head and smiling meekly. "But, if you will forgive me, Master Mundi," he said, "I am afraid that, in light of recent events, I must call that judgment into question."

Mace and Ki-Adi exchanged glances for a brief moment. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Chancellor," Mace said, turning a deeply serious face toward him.

"Come now, Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said, rising from his chair and walking slowly toward the window behind him. "Surely you must recognize that if it were not for the Council's involvement, we would never have been pulled into this regrettable conflict in the first place."

Mace was taken back by the boldness of Palpatine's statement, and he leaned forward in his chair again, his expression growing more frustrated by the moment. "Are you implying, your Excellency, that the Council is somehow responsible for this conflict?"

"It's not a matter of implication, Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said, the smile gone from his face as he turned toward them, his hands folded behind the back of his long robe, "but rather, a matter of fact."

The three Jedi Masters listened, with a growing sense of foreboding, as Palpatine continued. "It was the Jedi who commissioned the creation of the Clone Army in the first place," he said, taking a step closer toward them. "It would seem that the Jedi had been preparing for war long before the decision to formalize hostilities ever reached the Senate."

"The Council never commissioned the creation of that Clone Army," Windu said, his tone growing aggravated and defensive. "It was done without the approval, or the knowledge, of the Council."

"Yet, by your own admission and by that of the cloners on Kamino," Palpatine replied calmly, "it was indeed a Jedi who commissioned the army, yes?"

"That is correct," Obi-Wan interjected, his own countenance growing more concerned at the direction this conversation was taking. "But it was done outside of the Council's guidance and approval. Count Dooku was the one who commissioned Jango Fett as the donor for the Clone Army, long after he had left the Order."

"Which leads me to another regrettable point of concern, Master Kenobi," the Chancellor said, turning his attention to Obi-Wan. "It would seem that the Council is having trouble maintaining discipline within their own ranks."

"A rogue Jedi commissions an army, several thousand legions strong, without the Council's knowledge," Palpatine said, turning and gazing out of the window as he spoke. "An event that could hardly be considered a simple oversight."

"And then," Palpatine continued, "one of their own, indeed, one of the most revered and trusted Jedi in the order, joins forces with our enemies and orchestrates the largest, most destructive conflict to occur in the galaxy in over a thousand years."

"You'll forgive me, I hope," Chancellor Palpatine said, turning and looking at the three Jedi who sat dumbfounded before him, "if I have grown somewhat apprehensive of the Council's recommendations, in light of these events."

Mace reached, deeply, into the Force, attempting to calm himself; he was furious. He had hoped, beyond all hope, that Anakin's suspicions regard Palpatine were wrong, that Anakin had simply misunderstood or misinterpreted the events and what he had sensed on board the _Invisible Hand._

But this conversation was taking on a tone far more sinister than anything he could ever have envisioned; to imply that the Jedi were responsible for this war went far beyond what he could have imagined, even in his worst nightmares.

"Chancellor," Mace said, his tone deeply aggravated, "you must lay aside your emergency powers and recall the Clone Army," he said. "To do otherwise would be to risk the security and stability of the Republic."

Chancellor Palpatine nodded his head, slowly, as he looked back at Mace Windu. "I understand your feelings on this matter, Master Windu," Palpatine said. "But in my opinion, it is the Council that has placed the Republic at risk."

"As I said," Palpatine continued, folding his hands in front of him as he reclined slowly back in his chair, "the Republic is changing. While I value your opinion tremendously," he said, "I'm afraid that the Council's involvement in the future affairs of the Republic must diminish."

Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, dumbfounded by what he was hearing; he had assumed that Chancellor Palpatine would resist relinquishing his power, but the extent to which the Chancellor had taken his accusations had surpassed even than which he could ever have imagined.

He looked up, just as Mace Windu rose quietly, but quickly, to his feet. "I would ask, once more, your Excellency," he said, his tone deeply aggravated, "that you reconsider your decision and help bring this war to an end."

"Thank you, Master Windu," Palpatine said, as he rose to his feet, along with Ki-Adi and Obi-Wan. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid our decision has already been made. I will be meeting with a senior delegation from the Senate tomorrow to discuss, among other things, the future of the Council's involvement in the affairs of the Republic."

"Then this conversation is over," Mace said, as he looked at the Chancellor for a long moment, and then tossed the hood of his cloak up over his head. He nodded to his two companions, and then they turned and walked quickly toward the door to the Chancellor's office.

Chancellor Palpatine watched in silence as the three Jedi Masters disappeared through the doors of his chambers. He turned and sat quietly back down in his chair, folding his hands in front of him, as he turned and looked out over the city as the afternoon sun began to set slowly in the orange-gold sky.

* * *

Mace, Obi-Wan, and Ki-Adi walked quickly, in complete silence, through the long halls of the Republic Senate building as they made their way to the landing platform above.

Mace opened the door, and the three of them stepped out into the late afternoon sun. He stopped, as he scanned the platform quickly with his eyes, making sure that the three of them were alone.

Seeing no one near them, he turned quickly toward his two companions, their long cloaks flapping briskly in the late evening breeze as they stood huddled in a small circle.

"That didn't go well at all," Obi-Wan said flatly, as Ki-Adi and Mace looked at him, their faces deeply concerned.

"To say the least," Ki-Adi said, nodding his head, as Mace took a long, deep breath.

"There can no longer be any doubt," Mace said, placing his hands on his waist. "We must take this matter before the whole Council, immediately."

"Agreed," Ki-Adi said, his tone sullen and somber. "We must call an emergency meeting of the Council at once."

"Obi-Wan," Mace said, turning his attention to him, "Master Yoda should be on his way to your residence to meet with Anakin. Go there at once, advise him of what has happened here, and then join us at the Temple as soon as possible."

"Understood, Master," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "I'll head there now."

"Contact the members of the Council," Mace said, turning his attention to Master Mundi. "We will convene in the Council chambers in one hour."

"At once," Ki-Adi nodded, as Mace Windu turned and looked back toward the Senate building and took another long, deep breath.

"I will contact Senator Bail Organa," Mace said, as he turned his attention back toward his companions. "We need to advise him of the Chancellor's plans. With any luck, he may be able to convince the other representatives to stand with him when the Chancellor meets with them tomorrow."

They all looked at each other for a long moment. "Very well, then," Mace said, finally. "Time is short. We will meet at the Temple in one hour."

Obi-Wan watched as Mace Windu and Ki-Adi turned and headed back into the Senate building. He stood there quietly for a long moment, and then turned and headed toward their transport at the far end of the landing pad.

He had known that Anakin was right; yet now, as the truth began to reveal itself, he wished with all of his heart that his young friend had been wrong, as he began to sense the sinister, oppressive influence of the Dark Side all around him.

He could only hope, he though to himself, as he opened the door and boarded the small transport, that they weren't too late to stop it.

* * *

Padmé sat quietly on the ship's bench, listening intently as Anakin continued to share the events of the past day with her.

"_So, anyway,"_ Anakin said, as his green tinted image blinked slightly over the small table in front of her, "_Master Obi-Wan left a while ago to go and meet with the senior members of the Council, and when they released me from the infirmary, I came here to his place_," he paused and looked at her with a smile. "_And called you."_

Padmé closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. "No wonder I've been worried about you," she sighed, opening her eyes and shaking her head slowly. "I'm just so thankful you weren't hurt any worse than you were."

Padmé sat quietly for a moment, and then she started to laugh, softly, as she raised her hand to her face.

_"What's so funny?"_ Anakin asked with a bewildered grin.

"I just pictured you slapping that little medical droid," Padmé said, as she started to laugh even harder. "Oh, I wish I could have been there to see that."

_"See it? You should have heard it,"_ Anakin laughed, and she watched his image as he swung his arm in front of him, simulating the blow he had given the unfortunate little droid. _"That little droid's head must have been hollow. It sounded a lot funnier than it looked."_

"You're awful," Padmé said, as she started to laugh hysterically at him. "That poor little droid was just trying to help you."

_"Well, he was doing a lousy job,"_ Anakin laughed, as he reached down and rubbed his leg just above his knee. "_But I suppose that he did mean well, though. I apologized to him a little later."_

"Good," Padmé laughed, as she reached up and wiped the tear away that stood in the corner of her eye; Anakin had a way of doing that. He could always make her laugh, even at times like this, when she found it hard to, but needed it most.

"Oh, I can't wait to tell Sola and Dad about that," Padmé said, still laughing softly as she looked back at his smiling face. "My husband, Anakin Skywalker, a great Jedi Knight, beating up on a poor, defenseless medical droid." She shook her head, as she leaned back against the bench and gazed at him fondly, still giggling softly. "At least you didn't use your saber. Dad's going to love that."

_"Believe me,_" Anakin chuckled, "_that little droid was a long way from being defenseless. He had sharp things all over him."_

"You always know how to make me feel better," Padmé said, smiling at him warmly, and they both sat quietly, gazing fondly at each other for a long moment.

_"Padmé,"_ Anakin asked quietly, after a long pause, _"how did you know? About me getting hurt, I mean?"_

"I'm not sure," Padmé replied with a quiet smile. "I just felt it, early this morning. I thought I was dreaming, but I knew it my heart it was more than a dream." She paused for a moment, and then smiled at him. "Just like I can still feel you in my heart," she said, softly, "I could feel that you were in pain."

Anakin smiled back at her as she watched him sit quietly for a moment. "_Even though I hate that it scared you like it did,"_ he said softly, "_something about that makes me feel really good inside."_

"Me too," Padmé said, smiling softly at him. "Just be careful and try not to give me any more reasons to wake up like that again, okay?"

_"I promise,_" Anakin nodded.

Padmé looked down for a moment, and then leaned forward toward his image, folding her hands in her lap. "Anakin," she said, softly, her expression growing serious for a moment, "Are you sure? About Chancellor Palpatine, I mean?"

"_Yes, Padmé,_" Anakin said, his own countenance growing more serious as he nodded his head slowly. "_I've never been more certain of anything."_

"That's so hard to believe," Padmé said softly, looking down at the floor for a moment. "But then again," she said, looking back up at him, "it is, but it isn't, somehow." She sat back up, shaking her head sadly. "I don't know," she said. "So many people trusted that man for so long, even me," Padmé said, turning her eyes downward again. "It's just awful."

"_I know,_" Anakin said quietly, and then he paused for a long moment._ "There's something else, though, Padmé,"_ Anakin said softly, as she looked up at his image as it flickered again. "_Something that's been bothering me even more. I haven't even told Master Obi-Wan about it yet."_

"What is it, Ani?" Padmé asked, as she saw the deeply thoughtful expression on his face.

_"Remember when I told you about the other Sith?"_ Anakin asked. "_The one I tried to stop, the one who took the Chancellor off the ship?"_

"Yes," Padmé said, as she watched his image intently. "The one who killed Dooku?"

"_Yes,"_ Anakin replied softly, as he nodded his head slowly. Padmé looked at him thoughtfully, as he sat quietly for a long moment.

"What's wrong, Ani?" Padmé asked, seeing the look of deep concern on her husband's face.

"_We never really got a chance to see him clearly when we were in that room,_" Anakin said, as Padmé watched him look back at her. _"The ship's emergency lights were on, and his hood almost completely covered his face."_

"_Add to that,_" Anakin said, "_General Grievous, and the fact that the ship was about to come apart from underneath us,"_ he said, somewhat frustrated, "_and we never really got a chance to pay much attention to him."_

_"Anyway,"_ Anakin continued, as Padmé listened to him intently, _"I tried to stop him when he tried to leave the room with the Chancellor. I had him, for just a moment, and for an instant, I thought I saw his face under his hood."_

_"I can't be sure, though,"_ Anakin said, turning his head and pounding his fist gently on the console beside him.

Padmé could sense that he was frustrated and upset about whatever it was that had happened. "It's okay, Anakin," she said, as comfortingly and supportively as she could. "You did the best you could; it's okay if you don't remember what he looked like."

"_That's just it,_" Anakin said, looking up at her, his face deeply thoughtful. _"I do remember what I saw, Padmé,"_ he said, quietly. _"I'm just not sure that I believe it."_

"What did you see, Ani?" Padmé asked, as she tried to help him reason his way through whatever it was that was bothering him so badly.

"_Me_," Anakin said quietly, looking up at her with a deeply pained expression. "_For an instant,"_ he said, as his image flickered again, softly, "_I saw my own face looking back at me from underneath that hood."_

Padmé sat quietly for a moment, as she looked at his agonized face. "Are you sure, Ani?" Padmé asked, softly. She wished so much that she were there with him now, to help him through this.

_"I think so, Padmé_," Anakin said, nodding his head. _"For an instant, it felt like I was looking in a mirror, except the face that looked back at me was completely consumed with rage and hate,"_ he said. _"I just don't know how that could be possible."_

"Do you think it could have been a trick?" Padmé asked.

"_I thought about that_," Anakin said, nodding his head. "_I suppose it's possible. Right after I saw it, I was so distracted that he managed to throw me across the room and escape before I get a better look."_

"That may be it, then," Padmé said, leaning back against the bench. "Why don't you talk to Master Obi-Wan and tell him what you saw? I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to help you figure it out."

_"Okay,"_ Anakin nodded, sighing deeply. _"It's just been hard to get that image out of my mind."_

"I know," Padmé said, looking back at his image on the holographic pad lovingly. "You'll figure it out, Ani. I have faith in you, I know you will."

"_Well,_" Anakin replied, returning her gaze, _"I feel better about it already, now that I've talked to you."_ He smiled at her fondly, as he looked at her for a long moment. "_I always do,"_ he said, finally. _"I love you, Padmé. So much."_

"I love you too, Ani," Padmé said softly, as she smiled brightly back at him across the stars. "So very much."

Padmé heard the soft tones of the visitor's bell ring over the comlink. "Sounds like you have a visitor," she said, as she watched Anakin look back over his shoulder toward the door.

_"I would've thought that Obi-Wan would have just come on in,"_ Anakin said, as she watched him stand up in front of the transmitter. "_Can you hold on one minute? Let me go see who that is and I'll be right back, okay?"_

"Okay," Padmé said, and she watched as he walked out of the transmitter's view toward the door.

* * *

Anakin opened the door to Obi-Wan's apartment, and smiled as he saw the small, familiar face looking up at him.

"Greetings, young Skywalker," Yoda said, as he looked up at Anakin, his hands resting on his small cane. He looked down toward Anakin's leg, and took his cane and rapped it against Anakin's boot several times, looking up at the young Jedi Knight slyly. "None the worse for wear, you seem to be, hmmm?"

"Not at all," Anakin replied, as he opened the door fully and watched as Yoda made his way into Obi-Wan's residence.

"Interrupting you, I hope I was not?" Yoda said, as he turned and watched Anakin close the door behind him.

"No, not at all, Master," Anakin said, turning and walking toward him. "Well, not really," he added, gesturing toward the com station in the corner of Obi-Wan's main living area. "I was just talking with Padmé."

Yoda turned and looked toward the corner of the room, and smiled as he saw Padmé's image as she waited patiently for Anakin to return. he chuckled to himself, as he started to walk toward the transmitter. "Perfect timing, this is," he said, looking back over his shoulder at Anakin with a grin. "Mind if I speak to her a moment, do you?"

"Not at all, Master," Anakin replied, as he followed Yoda as he walked quickly across the room toward the transmitter. "I'm sure that Padmé would love to see you."

Anakin smiled as he watched Yoda walk quickly, more quickly than he had seen the tiny Jedi master move since that day on Geonosis, toward the com station, chuckling happy to himself as he went. "Padmé," Anakin called, as he saw her look up from her seat in their ship, "there's somebody here who wants to say hello to you."

Yoda stepped in front of the imaging transmitter, his small face beaming as he saw Padmé lean forward and look at him with a bright smile. "A long time has it been," Yoda said with a chuckle, "since such a lovely face I have seen."

_"Master Yoda,"_ Padmé exclaimed. "_It's been far too long, indeed. How wonderful to see you!"_

"Taken good care of you, I trust, young Skywalker has?" Yoda said, as he watched Anakin take a seat in the chair beside him.

_"Oh, yes, Master Yoda,_" Padmé said, as Yoda watched her image flicker above the holopad. "_He has indeed, just like he always does."_

Yoda chuckled again, as he watched her place her hand gently on her stomach. "Not long, you have, I believe," Yoda said, "until your young padawans arrive?"

"_Not long at all, Master Yoda,"_ Padmé smiled back at him. _"Just a few more weeks."_

"Warms my heart it does," Yoda chuckled, as he looked up at her, "each time I see you, Padmé." He took a long deep breath, and looked down for a moment. "Only wish, I did," he said as he looked back up at her, "that better, the circumstances were."

_"I know, Master Yoda,_" Padmé said, nodding her head as Anakin watched the two of them talk._ "Anakin has told me something of what's happening."_

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his small head. "The shroud of the Dark Side continues to fall," he said, looking at Anakin thoughtfully. "Dark, these days have become."

"Come to discuss these matters, I have, with young Skywalker," Yoda said, as he looked back up at Padmé. "But pleased I am, indeed, to have seen you as well."

_"I am too, Master Yoda,_" Padmé said. "_Anakin,_" she said, as she turned her attention to him as he looked up at her image on the holopad, "_you should go and speak with Master Yoda._" She paused for a moment, and then looked at him with a knowing smile. "_He could probably help you with that subject we were discussing earlier._"

Yoda looked at Anakin thoughtfully, as he closed his eyes, nodding his head. "Okay," Anakin said, smiling warmly at her. "I'll be sure to do that. And I'll call you again just as soon as I can, okay?"

Yoda watched quietly as Anakin and Padmé said goodbye to each other. He reached out to Anakin with his feelings, and briefly touched the life energy that flowed through him as he spoke to Padmé; just as he had sensed four years ago on Geonosis, he felt Padmé's familiar presence, amid the warm feelings of love and devotion that flowed so freely through the young Jedi who sat next to him.

_"Okay,"_ Padmé said, as she looked at him fondly. "_Please be careful, Ani."_ She paused for just a moment, as he watched her place her hand over her heart. _"I love you,"_ she said, softly. _"So very much."_

"I love you, Padmé," Anakin said, as he gazed at her fondly. "And don't worry," he said. "I'll be careful. I promise."

_"Goodbye, Master Yoda,_" Padmé said, nodding her head toward the Jedi Master who sat at Anakin's side, _"and may the Force be with you."_

Anakin looked at Yoda, as he nodded at Padmé. "And with you, Padmé, and your young ones," he said.

"I'll call you soon, I promise," Anakin said, as he reached over toward the transmitter's control switch. "Have Artoo contact me here if you need me for anything, okay?"

_"I will,"_ Padmé smiled, nodding her head._ "Talk to you soon, sweetheart. Love you."_

"Love you, too," Anakin said, and he watched as her signal flashed several times, and then faded.

Yoda looked at Anakin thoughtfully, as he watched his young companion take a long, deep breath. "Fortunate you are, Anakin," Yoda said, "to be loved so much, by one so strong."

"Yes I am, Master," Anakin said, turning to look at the Jedi Master who stood by his side. "Very much indeed."

Yoda nodded at him, thoughtfully, and looked at him for a long moment. "Now," Yoda said, his expression growing more concerned, "much we have to discuss, it seems."

"Yes we do, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head in agreement. "We do, indeed."

* * *

Anakin sat down and leaned back against the cushion of the small couch in Obi-Wan's quarters, turning and watching as Master Yoda climbed up into the chair beside him and sat down with an exasperated sigh. "Taller, I should be," Yoda said with a small chuckle, as he reached down and propped his small cane against the arm of the chair as he settled himself into it.

"So," Yoda said, as he folded his hands and looked at Anakin with great interest, "Told us, Obi-Wan has," he said, "that the Lord of the Sith, you suspect the Chancellor to be."

"Yes, Master," Anakin said, his expression deeply thoughtful as he looked at Yoda and leaned forward in his chair. "I'm sure of it, although I really can't tell you how, or why," he said, as he rubbed his hands thoughtfully, resting his elbows on his knees.

"This dark presence that you sensed," Yoda asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at his young companion, "on the ship, was it, when you felt it again?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head firmly. "It was right before Obi-Wan and I entered the room where Dooku was killed."

"It was the same thing that I sensed four years ago," Anakin continued, "right after we had met before Padmé and I went home to Naboo," he said, as Yoda listened to him intently. "I had gone to the Chancellor's office, to tell him goodbye."

"I didn't know why, at the time," Anakin said, "but, when the Chancellor asked where Padmé and I were going to live, something told me not to tell him, so I didn't. I told him we were staying on Coruscant, and that we hadn't made plans beyond that."

"A fortunate thing it is, if correct you are," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly, "that heard the Force speaking to you, you did. If revealed to him, your plans had been," Yoda said, his expression growing more concerned, "In great danger, your companion could be."

"I know," Anakin said, nodding his head. "I've thought about that more than once, Master Yoda," he said, his own countenance growing more serious as he sat quietly for a moment. "Anyway, as soon as I told the Chancellor goodbye and walked back out into the hallway, that's when I first felt it."

"The only way I know how to describe it," Anakin said, looking at Yoda thoughtfully, "was a feeling of betrayal. It made me feel cold and uncomfortable all over."

"I've sensed it several times since then, too, Master," Anakin continued, as he looked back toward his hands, "but when we were outside that room, it was the most intense, uncomfortable thing I've ever felt."

Anakin looked back at Yoda's deeply concerned face for a long moment. "I'm sure of what the Force is telling me though, Master," Anakin said, quietly. "Chancellor Palpatine is the Dark Lord of the Sith."

Yoda nodded his head slowly, as he took a long deep breath as he turned his eyes thoughtfully to the floor. "Deeply disturbing, this revelation is," Yoda said, and then he looked back up at Anakin. "But," he said with a sigh, "agree with you, I do."

"Strong, the Force is with you now, Anakin," Yoda said, regarding his young companion with a deeply thoughtful expression. "Rely on your judgment and sense of the Dark Side, we must, if we are to conquer the Dark Lord."

"Rely on me?" Anakin said, leaning back and looking at Yoda curiously, somewhat shocked by Yoda's statement. "But, Master Yoda," he said, shaking his head as he looked at him with a bewildered expression, "you, Master Windu, and the other members of the Council are far stronger with the Force than I am," he said. "I'm the one who should be, and is, relying on your judgment for guidance."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head and looking back at his young companion. "Strong we are with the Force, indeed," Yoda said. "But tell me," he said, cocking his head to the side and looking Anakin curiously, "how is it, then, that you have been able to sense what we have not?"

Anakin took a deep breath, and then looked back toward the floor before him. "I don't know, Master," he said, shaking his head for a moment. "I've thought about that myself, even right before I told Master Obi-Wan about it earlier." He looked back at Yoda, a somewhat pained expression on his young face. "How could I possibly be able to sense something that you can't?"

"Hmmm," Yoda mused with a nod. "Important it is for a Jedi," he said, as his long ears perked up as he looked at his young companion, "to know why, and how, he senses the things that he does."

"I know, Master," Anakin said apologetically. "I mean, I know that it's the Force that's allowing me to sense these things," he said, "but I'm not really sure why, or why I feel it so strongly." He smiled weakly back at the tiny Jedi master as he spoke. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Yoda nodded his head thoughtfully as he looked at Anakin. "A curious thing, the ways of the Force," he said, as Anakin listened to him intently. "He who possesses a gift is often the last to understand why it has been given to him, or how it reveals itself."

"A gift?" Anakin said, looking back at Yoda curiously.

"Indeed," Yoda nodded. "Difficult indeed, the Dark Side of the Force is to see," he said, as Anakin listened to him intently. "Even for the older, more experienced Jedi." He paused for a moment, and then took another deep breath. "For eight hundred years, have I sought to do so," Yoda said, looking at Anakin thoughtfully. "Still, a dark and elusive quarry it is."

"Tell me," Yoda said, as he leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap, "How is it that a Jedi may know the good side of the Force from the bad?"

Anakin let his mind drift back for a moment to his training, when he had first become Obi-Wan's apprentice. He sat quietly for a moment, as he thought back to those basic rules of the Force that he learned as a young boy so long ago.

"That's easy, Master," Anakin said, looking back to Yoda's attentive face. "When he's at peace."

"Indeed," Yoda said with an approving nod. "Only when a Jedi is at peace, when he is calm and passive, may he truly be able to discern the nature of the Force around him."

"Tell me, young Skywalker," Yoda asked, looking at Anakin with a curious, but knowing expression, "when is it, that you feel the most peaceful, the most content?"

Yoda watched, as Anakin looked down toward the floor for a moment quietly. "That's simple, Master," Anakin said, finally, as he looked back up at Yoda with a smile. "Whenever I'm with Padmé," he said quietly. "Or, for that matter," Anakin said, his smile brightening as he looked back down at his folded hands again, "anytime I just think about her, or about how much I love her."

Yoda smiled back at Anakin, as he leaned forward toward him. "It is that," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly toward the young Jedi Knight, "that allows you to sense that which we cannot."

"Truly at peace, your heart is, Anakin," Yoda continued. "Sensed it, I did, a moment ago, as you spoke with your companion," he said. "You must trust in that peace, and in that which the Force tells you through it."

Anakin looked at Yoda for a moment, and then nodded his head, slowly. "I think I understand, Master Yoda," he said, the hint of a smile on his face.

Yoda nodded at Anakin again, as he watched Anakin's worried countenance fade away. "Already know you, in your heart, that which you need," Yoda said. "Rely on the Force, and your companion, just as she relies on you," he said, quietly. "And trust that which the Force reveals to you."

"I will, Master," Anakin nodded, as Yoda looked at him thoughtfully. "Thank you."

Yoda nodded, and then looked toward the window for a long moment, watching the last rays of the setting sun turn the evening sky into a rainbow of dark purple and orange hues. Anakin watched him, intently; he could sense that something was deeply troubling the diminutive Jedi Master.

"What is it, Master?" Anakin asked, his own countenance growing more concerned. "Something troubles you, as well."

Yoda looked back down at his hands in front of him, and took a long, deep breath again. "Dark, these days may become, Anakin," he said, turning a somber face back toward his young companion. "The shroud of the Dark Side continues to fall," he said, his tone reserved and somber. "To late it may be, I fear," he said with a sigh, "to stop it."

Anakin listened intently as Yoda continued. "Of utmost importance, it is, Anakin," he said, the expression on his small face growing deeply serious, "that you protect Padmé, and your younglings, at all costs," he said. "On this, all things may depend."

The urgency of Yoda's words struck him hard, as his thoughts shifted to his wife and unborn children; the seriousness of Yoda's tone unnerved him, somewhat, and he sat back in his chair, slowly, as he began to sense the tremor of dark foreboding that weighed heavily on Master Yoda's heart. It was dark, elusive and distant, almost an echo of things to come.

"I will, Master," Anakin said quietly, nodding his head slowly, and they looked at each other for a long moment. Yoda took another long, deep breath, and turned his eyes thoughtfully toward his hands, as the two of them sat in silence.

They both looked up, as they heard the locking mechanism on the front door turn, and they watched as Obi-Wan opened the door and walked quickly into the room, and then turned and closed the door behind him.

"I was hoping that I'd find the both of you here," Obi-Wan said, somewhat winded, as he turned and walked toward them, tossing the hood of his cloak back onto his shoulders as he approached them.

"You sound like you've been running, Master," Anakin said, as he looked up at Obi-Wan as he came and stood beside the chair where Yoda sat.

"I have," Obi-Wan said, taking another quick, deep breath. "I've just returned from the meeting with Chancellor Palpatine," he said, turning his attention toward Yoda, as he looked up at him from the chair where he sat.

"What news have you, Obi-Wan?" Yoda asked, turning his somber expression toward him as he stood beside his chair.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "Chancellor Palpatine has rejected the Council's recommendation to relinquish his emergency powers and decommission the Clone Army," he said. "Just as we suspected he would."

Yoda sighed deeply, turning his eyes back down toward the floor, as Obi-Wan continued. "Master Windu has called an emergency meeting of the Council," he said, looking back at Anakin as he watched him from his seat beside Yoda. "We're to convene there in half an hour to discuss the Chancellor's decision, and our response."

"That's not good news, Master," Anakin said as he looked up at Obi-Wan.

"It gets worse," Obi-Wan said, as he placed his hands on his belt at his waist. "Not only did the Chancellor reject our recommendation, but he openly and directly accused the Council of starting the Clone Wars in the first place."

"He did what?" Anakin said, as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the couch beside him, a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"He blames us for starting the Clone Wars," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head at Anakin, as Yoda looked up at him with a deeply serious expression. "He claims that the Jedi were planning for war by commissioning the Clone Army in the first place, and that Dooku's involvement was also the Council's fault."

"But Dooku left the Order long ago," Anakin said, still not believing what he was hearing. "He's the one who commissioned the Army, and the Council knew nothing about it."

"Apparently," Obi-Wan said with a nod, "the Chancellor sees that as just another one of the Council's failures."

"Dooku's lies and deceit, I sense again," Yoda said, a deep scowl on his small, weathered face.

"That's not the end of it," Obi-Wan said, as he took another deep breath and looked at Yoda. "The Chancellor is meeting with a senior delegation from the Senate tomorrow," he said, "to discuss diminishing, or possibly removing, the Council's role in the affairs of the Republic."

"It would seem," Obi-Wan said, as he watched Yoda and Anakin look at each other in complete disbelief, "that the good Chancellor has gone a long way toward confirming Anakin's suspicions."

"Indeed," Yoda said, as he reached for his cane and hopped down out of the chair in which he sat. "Come," he said, as he watched Anakin stand up beside him and reach for his cloak. "We must meet with the Council at once."

Anakin quickly tossed his dark brown cloak over his shoulders, and Yoda looked up at the young Jedi Knight as the two sabers at his sides flashed brightly in the light of Obi-Wan's quarters as he adjusted his cloak. He sighed, deeply, and then turned and started to make his way toward the doorway.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin for a moment, and then smiled weakly and placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder as Anakin tossed his hood up over his head. "For what it's worth, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, "They all believed you."

"I'm just sorry I was right, Master," Anakin said, a look of sadness and regret on his young face. "I hope there's still time to stop him."

They looked at each other for another moment, and then they turned and followed Yoda out into the hallway. Obi-Wan closed the door of his quarters behind him, and they made their way slowly down the long hallway and up toward their transport on the platform above.

* * *

Anakin's long brown cloak swirled around his boots as he followed Obi-Wan through the massive, ornate doorway of the main Council Chamber.

It had been a long time, indeed, since he had walked into this massive, round auditorium, perched high atop the Jedi Temple. The room looked just as he remembered it; its many chairs, each of different sizes to suit its specific owner, still encircled the ornate floor, and the evening stars could be seen flickering in the sky outside of the tall, clear windows that encircled the entire chamber. All around the room, the Council members stood in small groups, talking quietly among themselves as they waited for the last members to arrive at this hastily called meeting.

Mace Windu turned and watched from his place beside Ki-Adi Mundi, as Yoda walked through the doorway, with Obi-Wan and Anakin trailing close behind him. A smile crossed his dark skinned face, albeit a troubled one, as he watched the small trio approach them.

Obi-Wan turned and watched as Anakin stopped beside him, and bowed politely to Mace Windu and Ki-Adi as they both regarded him. "Greetings, Masters," Anakin said quietly.

"Welcome, Anakin," Mace nodded, as he reached out and squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly as he watched the young Jedi toss his hood back onto his shoulders. "It's indeed good to see you again," he said, "although I wish the circumstances were better."

"I know, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head first to Mace, then to Ki-Adi. "So do I."

Anakin watched as Master Windu turned and looked at Yoda, as he stood beside Obi-Wan, his small hands resting on his cane. "Everyone is assembled," Mace said, placing his hands on his belt at his waist. "We should call the meeting to order."

"Agreed," Yoda said, and he turned and started toward his small chair near the head of the Council's audience chamber.

"Anakin," Mace Windu said, turning his attention toward him, "Would you take your place beside Obi-Wan? We'll call on you when we're ready for your testimony."

"Yes, Master," Anakin said, and then he turned and followed Obi-Wan to his seat near the entrance to the main chamber; he stood just behind Obi-Wan's chair, as the Council members watched as Mace Windu and Ki-Adi took their places beside Yoda. The chamber fell silent, and Anakin watched as, as soon as the three senior Council members took their seats, the other members took theirs, and he took a step closer to Obi-Wan's chair and stood behind him, folding his hands quietly in front of his robe.

"I must apologize for the short notice, and the late hour, of this emergency session," Mace Windu said, leaning back in his chair as he addressed the Council. "But a matter of utmost importance has arisen, one that requires our immediate and urgent attention."

Anakin watched as the Council members all looked at each other in silence, and then turned their attention back toward Mace Windu as he continued.

"We believe," Mace said, as the Council members listened in attentive silence, "that we may finally have learned the identity of the Dark Lord of the Sith."

Windu's words swept through the chamber like a strong wind, as the Council members began to whisper to each other, taken back by the magnitude of the statement they had just heard.

"Order," Ki-Adi said, looking around the chamber, his large, white eyebrows furrowed over his eyes as the members began to fall silent again. "This is a matter of utmost importance," he said coolly. "We must have order in the chamber."

"This is indeed a serious, and remarkable, claim," Council member Shaak Ti said, her head towering over her companions, as she looked at Mace Windu. "Who do you believe he is?"

"Indeed," Oppo Rancisis said, turning his long, white bearded face toward Mace. "Name him, immediately."

Mace turned and looked at Yoda for a long moment, and watched as the tiny Jedi master nodded his head, slowly, his hands folded thoughtfully in his lap. He turned back toward the Council members who watched him, intently, and took a long, deep breath.

"Chancellor Palpatine," Mace said, slowly.

Anakin watched from his place behind Obi-Wan as the Council members looked at each other in complete, stunned silence for a long moment.

"Incredible," Council member Plo Koon exclaimed, finally breaking the awkward silence that permeated the chamber floor. "How did you come to this conclusion?" he asked, "and what proof do you have?"

"As you all know," Mace said, "a short time ago, Master Mundi, Master Kenobi, and I met with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to discuss taking the first significant steps that we feel are necessary to bring the Clone Wars to an end."

"As we agreed in our previous Council session," Mace continued, "we approached the Chancellor and requested that he meet with the Senate, lay down his emergency powers, and take the first steps to begin the decommissioning of the Clone Army."

"What was the Chancellor's response?" Rancisis asked, his full attention focused on Mace as he addressed him.

"The Chancellor refused," Mace said, turning his attention to Oppo, as he sat near the window to his right. "He rejected our recommendation out of hand, and refuses to return control of the Republic back to the Senate."

"A rash move, indeed," Plo Kloon said, from his position directly across from the three senior Council members. "But, hardly proof that the Chancellor is the Dark Lord of the Sith."

"The Chancellor also accuses the Jedi of being responsible for the start of the Clone Wars," Mace continued, directing his attention toward Plo as he spoke. "He states that we are guilty of commissioning the clone army, and are also responsible for the actions of Count Dooku."

"Preposterous," Rancisis exclaimed, as he leaned back in his chair, looking around the chamber at his fellow Council members. "Dooku acted completely outside of the Council's authority. This claim will surely be struck down if we take it before the Senate."

"That may prove difficult," Ki-Adi interjected, as Oppo turned his bearded face toward him. "The Chancellor is meeting with a delegation from the Senate tomorrow," he said, raising his thick white eyebrows as he spoke, "to discuss the removal, or severe limitation, of the Council's activities in the affairs of the Republic."

The Council floor burst into hushed discussion again at Mundi's words, and Anakin watched as Shaak Ti raised her blue-clad arm into the air and began to speak. "These are serious charges, indeed," she said, as the Council members fell silent and turned their attention to her. "But, as serious as these actions are, they do not indicate by themselves that the Chancellor is in reality the Dark Lord," she said. "We must have more proof."

"Agreed," Plo Kloon said, nodding toward Shaak as she sat across from him. "Master Ti is correct," he said, gesturing toward her with his long, muscular arm. "We must rely on the guidance of the Force to make any determination regarding the Sith," he said. "Can any one of us here say, with certainty, that we have been guided to this conclusion by the Force alone?"

"There is one among us," Mace said, nodding his head, "to whom the Force has spoken, very clearly, on this matter."

"Who?" Shaak Ti said, looking around the Council chambers inquisitively, and then turning her attention back to Mace Windu.

Mace turned his eyes toward Anakin, as he stood behind Obi-Wan. "Master Skywalker," Mace said, as he gestured for Anakin to approach the speaker's platform near the center of the room.

The Council members watched him, in silence, as Anakin walked to the center of the room, and Obi-Wan smiled as he watched his former padawan bow politely, and then stand up, confidently. "Masters," he said, reverently, and then he stood there quietly.

"Anakin," Mace said, as he nodded toward the young Jedi Knight before him, "will you tell the Council what it is that the Force has revealed to you regarding Chancellor Palpatine?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin said with a nod. "I first sensed it four years ago, when I was leaving Chancellor Palpatine's office," he said, as the Council members listened to him intently as he spoke. "I sensed it again when Obi-Wan and I were attempting to rescue the Chancellor aboard the _Imperial Hand._"

Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, slowly stroking his beard with his hand as he listened intently, along with the other Council members, as Anakin recounted the events that transpired onboard the doomed separatist flagship in great detail. He watched, as Anakin shared with the Council members, who whispered quietly among themselves and listened to his former apprentice with great interest, the dark, sinister tremors that he had sensed through the Force, those same tremors that now brought them all together at this late hour in the evening.

Obi-Wan smiled, as he watched his young friend turn in a tight circle, looking at the Council members as he addressed them, calmly and confidently. "There is no doubt in my mind, Masters," Anakin said, as he looked slowly around the room as he spoke, "that the living Force has told me that Chancellor Palpatine is, in reality, Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith."

The Council members began to whisper among themselves again for a moment, as Anakin turned and looked back at Mace Windu; Mace nodded at him, approvingly, and then turned his attention to Shaak Ti as she spoke.

"Your confidence in the Force's guidance in this matter is considerable, as we can all plainly sense, Master Skywalker," Shaak Ti said, as she nodded politely toward Anakin. "And, I must concede," she said, as she bowed her head slightly, "that the Chancellor's actions lend a great deal of support to your assertions."

"But," Shaak Ti said, as she looked back toward Mace, "We all know that the Code requires that such a claim be corroborated by at least one member of the Council, who has also sensed the Force's guidance in the matter," she said. "Is there anyone here who can say that they have sensed the same thing that Master Skywalker has?"

Obi-Wan watched, as the Council members looked around in silence, as they waited for a response to Shaak Ti's question.

"I have," Obi-Wan heard a gruff, familiar voice say, firmly, and he, along with the other members of the Council turned their eyes toward the seat beside Mace.

"Confirm young Skywalker's interpretation, I will," Yoda said, as he looked at Shaak Ti and nodded his head, slowly. "Sensed the same thing, I have," he said, "though not as plainly or as clearly as he."

"Exceedingly strong with the Force, young Skywalker has become," Yoda said, as he looked around the Council chamber at the other members who listened to him intently. "Trust his interpretation of the Force's guidance in this situation, I do," he said, as he turned and looked back toward Mace Windu and nodded his head, firmly.

"The interpretation has been accepted, and corroborated per the Code," Mace said, turning his attention toward the Council before him. "It is our opinion that, in light of the revelation given to Anakin by the Force, and the Chancellor's own actions, that the process of gathering evidence to substantiate this accusation should begin."

"This is a serious matter," Windu said after a pause, as he looked around the room slowly, "quite possibly the most serious that we have ever faced. We must be unanimous, both in our decision," he said, his tone deeply somber, "and in our response."

Anakin turned and looked toward Plo Kloon, as he heard his deep, booming voice behind him. "In light of Master Skywalker's testimony," Plo said, gesturing toward Anakin with his long arm, "I would call that a vote be taken, now, to recommend that we proceed at once."

"Very well," Mace said, looking around the chamber slowly. "All that are in favor of proceeding with this investigation please rise at this time."

Obi-Wan stood up, and watched as the other members of the Council began to stand, one by one, from their seats and take a step forward from their chairs.

Anakin looked around the room, slowly; not a single seat was left occupied, and he turned his eyes back toward Obi-Wan, and watched as he smiled and nodded at him approvingly.

"Very well," Mace said, as he looked around the Council chamber at the results of the unanimous vote. "It is imperative that this meeting, and this matter, remain a closely guarded secret until we have obtained the evidence we need."

"Obi-Wan," Mace said, turning his attention to him as he and the other members of the Council returned to their chairs, "Would you join Anakin for a moment?"

"Of course, Master," Obi-Wan said, standing back up from his chair and joining Anakin at the center of the chamber.

"It is imperative that we apprehend General Grievous as soon as possible," Mace said, as Obi-Wan turned to face him at Anakin's side. "One of our ships intercepted a transmission from a small vessel that managed to escape from the _Imperial Hand_ just before it went down," Mace said, as Obi-Wan and Anakin listened intently. "We believe that it was General Grievous."

"If the transmission was correct," Ki-Adi said, "then we believe that the General is regrouping with his droid armies on the planet Utapau."

"Utapau?" Obi-Wan said, looking at Ki-Adi curiously. "I wasn't aware that planet had been involved in the conflict."

"Until now," Master Mundi said, "it has not."

"We are sending a large battalion of clone troopers to Utapau as we speak," Mace Windu said, as Obi-Wan turned his attention back to him. "They are en route now. We need you to go and take command of the battalion, and attempt to locate and capture General Grievous before he has time to regroup," he said.

"We believe that the General is responsible for the deaths of the three Jedi and their apprentices," Master Windu continued. "If we can capture him, we can bring him to justice, and we may also obtain the proof that we need to prove Chancellor Palpatine's involvement and corroborate Anakin's theory."

"I'll leave at once, Masters," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "But I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with the planet, or where to start looking for General Grievous when I get there."

"Time is short, Obi-Wan," Yoda said, looking up at Obi-Wan from his seat beside Mace Windu. "Leave now you must," he said, and then looked at Anakin. "Obtain the information you need, Anakin will."

"Anakin," Mace Windu said, as Anakin turned his attention toward him, "Go to the archives. Obtain all the information that you can on the planet Utapau and relay it to Obi-Wan as soon as you have it ready."

"Understood, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head affirmatively.

"Once you have provided Obi-Wan with the information he needs," Mace continued, "then we need you to attempt to learn the identity and whereabouts of Count Dooku's killer."

Anakin took a long, deep breath, as the face that he had seen under the hood flashed briefly in his mind. "Yes, Master," he said, nodding again. "I'll do what I can."

"Very well," Yoda said, as he looked at the two Jedi before him. "Go quickly, the both of you," he said. "And may the Force be with you."

Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed reverently, and then they both turned and made their way out of the Council chambers.


	6. Dark Mirror

_**Chapter 6: Dark Mirror**_

Anakin sat quietly at the desk, the terminal's display casting a bluish-white hue to his face in the dim lighting, as he scrolled through the massive computer databanks in the Temple Archives. It was late, and the Temple Archive was dark, except for the station near the doorway where he worked, searching for any information that he could find that might help Obi-Wan. His former master had left a little over two hours ago, as soon as the meeting with the Council had ended, and ever since, Anakin had been searching through the massive store of tapes, files, and topographical maps.

He reached up and rubbed his eyes, sleepily, and then ran his hand through his hair and over his head, brushing his long, sandy hair up and out of his face; he hadn't slept, except for nodding off for a few moments in the med-lab while his leg was mending, since he had left home the night before, and he was starting to feel the effects. He blinked his eyes several times, and then rubbed his neck, as he tried to turn his attention back to the display.

He was having trouble concentrating; time and time again, his mind would drift back to that moment on the ship, back to that instant when he had caught a brief glimpse of the face underneath that thick, black hood.

It had haunted him again, relentlessly, since Master Windu had given him the assignment of tracking down Dooku's elusive killer. He looked down from the display, and rested his elbows on the desk in front of him as he clasped his hands behind his neck, and took a long, deep breath as he closed his eyes, tightly.

_How could it be possible, _Anakin thought to himself; he could still see the glowing, yellow eyes looking back at him, as if from a distorted, evil mirror, glaring at him, filled with a hatred and rage unlike any that he had ever seen before. He had felt it, through the Force; the dark tremor vibrated through the core of his being, and he could still feel its icy chill as the haunting face appeared, over and over again, in his mind.

Fear was something that seldom manifested itself in his heart. Indeed, only twice before, four long years ago, could he ever remember being truly afraid. Both times, it had been the fear of losing Padmé that had terrified him; once, when she had been injured in the Tusken camp, and again when the bounty hunter had taken her while he attempted to rescue Obi-Wan. He could still feel the sense of helplessness that he had felt that day, when he had searched the dark tunnels of Geonosis frantically, with only his heart and her tremor to guide him.

But now, as he watched those cold, yellow eyes stare back at him from the dark corner of his memory, he felt a different kind of fear; a sense of dread, a deep foreboding, that somehow, what he had seen could have been real.

Anakin suddenly heard the sharp rap of Yoda's cane on the smooth, marble floor behind him; he looked up, taking a deep breath, as he sat up in his chair and turned toward the doorway. Yoda stood there, looking at him quietly, his small hands resting on his cane.

"Weary you look, young Skywalker," Yoda said, as he stepped through the doorway and walked to the desk where Anakin sat, the sound of his cane echoing through the dark, empty room. Yoda stopped as he reached the desk, and looked at Anakin with keen interest. "And troubled, as well," he said finally, as he tilted his head and studied Anakin's tired, worried countenance.

"No, I'm all right, Master, really," Anakin said, and he took another deep breath as he ran his hand back through his hair again, looking back at the display in front of him. "I've just been trying to gather as much information as I can for Master Obi-Wan."

Yoda looked at Anakin thoughtfully for a moment. "Found anything, yet," he asked, as he took a step closer to Anakin's chair, "that may be of use to Obi-Wan?"

Anakin sighed deeply, as he studied the display for a moment, and then turned and looked back at Yoda. "I'm afraid there's not a whole lot of information here, Master," he said, as he watched Yoda step closer to him and look at the display with him. "It seems that, other than some routine imaging and climate data, nothing much has happened there."

"But," Anakin said, as he pressed a button on the display, "I did find something that might be useful." He paused for a brief moment, as he shook his head slowly. "But, it might be a long shot, at best."

Yoda watched as an image of the planet Utapau's surface appeared on the display, and listened as Anakin gestured toward the screen. "Most of the planet's surface is covered with these large, deep craters," Anakin said, as he began to adjust the scale on the image, bringing the surface of the planet into view on the display. "Those craters are connected by what appears to be a vast series of subterranean tunnels."

Anakin paused and looked back at Yoda. "If you were looking for a place to hide," he said, as Yoda looked up at him, "you'd never find a better place."

"A logical choice it would be then," Yoda said, nodding his head, "for General Grievous and his forces."

"Right," Anakin said, drawing the image in a little closer, as more detail emerged on the screen. "But, the whole planet's surface is covered with these things. It would take Master Obi-Wan and half the Clone Army a month to search half of them."

"But then I found this," Anakin said, as he swung the image to a quadrant of the planet in the northern hemisphere, and zoomed the image in closer.

Yoda looked at the display with keen interest, as Anakin pointed to a small group of large craters; large plumes of steam, or gas of some kind, could be seen venting into space. "See these columns of steam, or vapor, or whatever?" Anakin asked, as he turned and looked back at Yoda. "This is the only group of these types of vents that I've found on any of the planet's images so far," he said.

"When Padmé and I went to Geonosis to try and find Obi-Wan," he said, as Yoda looked at him with keen interest, "We found his ship near a group of vents that looked just like these. We discovered, after we got there, that they were exhaust vents for the droid factories that the Federation was running there."

"If Grievous is trying to regroup and rebuild his droid forces," Anakin said, as he turned and looked back at the display carefully, "then it's a fair bet that they're going to be running at least one of those factories to build more droids." He turned and looked at Yoda, and watched as the Jedi master studied the display with great interest. "If they are, then there's at least a chance that those factories might be here."

Anakin looked at Yoda, somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry, Master," he said, as Yoda looked up at him. "I know it's not much, but it's just about all I've been able to find so far."

"Enough, it may be," Yoda said, as he looked back at the display and nodded his head, slowly. "Suffice for now, it will have too," Yoda said, as he looked back up at Anakin. "Relay this to Obi-Wan," he said. "Begin his search there, he can, and contact us if he finds anything of interest."

"Yes, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head. "I'll relay it to him right now."

Anakin looked at Yoda, as he stood quietly and watched him for a long moment. "Is there something else, Master?" Anakin asked, as he looked at Yoda curiously, as he stood, his hands resting on his cane, watching him thoughtfully.

"Yes," Yoda said, as he cocked his head and looked up at Anakin. "Suspect there is, I do," he said, and then smiled, slyly. "If ready to discuss it with me, you are."

Anakin took a long, deep breath; he knew he couldn't hide something like this from Yoda. "Yes, Master," Anakin said, quietly. "I am," he said, and then he paused a moment. "I'm just not quite sure how, or where, to start."

Yoda turned and extended his hand toward the table beside them; the chair in front of it slid very quietly across the floor to his hand, and he turned it to face Anakin. "Always a good place to start, the beginning is," Yoda said, as he climbed up into the chair and turned toward Anakin, placing his cane across his lap. "Now," Yoda said, studying his young friend with great interest, "What troubles you, young Skywalker?"

Anakin laid his head back onto his shoulders, slowly and took another long breath. "Something that I saw onboard the _Invisible Hand_," he said, as he folded his arms across his chest and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling above him.

Yoda listened intently as Anakin sat quietly for a moment, and then began to speak, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling above him. "When we first saw Dooku's killer, Master," he said," his face was covered by the hood of his cloak, and the emergency lights were on, so it was pretty dark in that room. We never really got a good look at him."

"General Grievous came in on us, right after Dooku died," Anakin said. "He attacked us both, and while we were dealing with him, Dooku's killer grabbed the Chancellor and bolted for the door."

"When I tried to stop him as he was leaving," Anakin continued, quietly, "I got a glimpse of his face under his hood, just before he threw me across the room and escaped."

"I failed, Master," Anakin said, as he turned and looked back at Yoda with an anguished expression. "If I hadn't let myself be frightened and distracted by what I saw, I could have stopped him."

Yoda looked at Anakin, his own face bearing an expression of deep concern. "What was it you saw," Yoda asked, "that disturbed you so much?"

"His face," Anakin said quietly. "For an instant, I saw his face when he looked at me."

"Someone you recognized, was it?" Yoda asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Anakin's anguished face intently.

"Yes," Anakin replied, with a weak nod of his head. "It was me."

Yoda's own countenance grew more serious as Anakin continued; he could sense the anguish and pain that flowed through the young Jedi as he thought of that moment onboard the _Invisible Hand._

"It was _my_ face," he said, leaning forward in his chair and looking at Yoda intently. "I know it can't be possible, but I swear, for an instant, I saw the person under that cloak, and it was me."

Yoda turned his troubled face downward toward the floor. "Deeply troubling, this is," Yoda sighed, and he sat quietly for a long moment. "Certain, are you," he asked finally, turning his attention back to Anakin, "of what you saw?"

Anakin nodded his head, slowly, turning his own eyes downward, as he folded his hands and rested his elbows on his knees. "Yes, Master," he said, quietly. "I'm certain of what I saw. I just don't know if I can force myself to believe it."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head slowly. "Doubtful it is, that he would have chosen to place that image in your mind, or have been able to do so that quickly," he said, as he looked back up at Anakin. "Consider we must," Yoda said, as Anakin looked back at him, "the possibility that what you saw was real."

"Sufficient time, there has been, since Geonosis," Yoda continued. "In charge of creating the Clone Army, Dooku was," he said, as Anakin sat silently, listening to him. "If able to obtain a sample somehow, he was," he said, as Anakin's troubled eyes met his, "possible, it would be."

Anakin knew that Yoda was correct, and he turned his gaze downward again. The thought had crossed his own mind, yet he had resisted it, refused to accept it as a possibility; the thought unnerved him, very much so, and each time it had entered his mind he had rejected it, choosing rather to accept that it had been some evil trick manifested through the dark powers that Dooku's killer controlled. He felt violated, betrayed, in a way that he'd never known, as he considered for the first time, seriously, what he had felt in his heart since that moment on the ship.

"So what you're suggesting, Master," Anakin said quietly, turning his troubled face toward Yoda again, "is that Dooku somehow found a way to clone someone else beside Jango Fett." Anakin paused for another moment, and he took a long, troubled breath. "And that someone," he sighed, somewhat weakly, "Is me."

"Consider the possibility, we must," Yoda said, his expression becoming more compassionate and concerned. "Tried to turn you to the Dark Side, Sidious did," Yoda said thoughtfully. "Possible it is, that attempted to compensate for that failure, he has."

"But how would he have managed to get enough genetic material from me to do that?" Anakin asked, his expression both pained and puzzled. "I never even cut myself on Geonosis, and I only fought Dooku that one time, in the hangar. I never would have even tripped and fallen if it hadn't been for..."

Anakin stopped in mid sentence, as his eyes met Yoda's for a long moment. "That probe," Anakin said, slowly and thoughtfully. "I thought it had just stunned me," he said, turning and looking back toward the floor for a moment.

"The probe left a couple of pretty good bruises on my back after it hit me," Anakin said, letting his mind drift back to that day four years ago. "That night," he continued, "Padmé brought out the med-kit to treat the spots where the electrodes had hit me, and she found two small cuts, right between them," he said, as he looked back toward Yoda.

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head. "Corroborates our theory, this does," he said. "If cloned from you, Dooku's killer was, and trained in the dark arts he had been," Yoda continued, "a formidable opponent he would be, indeed."

Anakin nodded his head slowly, as he allowed himself to accept the fact that what he had feared might actually be the dark, sinister truth. "Important it is," Yoda said, as Anakin looked back toward him, "that we share this information with Obi-Wan, and your companion."

"If your clone, Dooku's killer is," Yoda said, as Anakin nodded his head slowly and listened intently to the diminutive Jedi master, "then aware they must be of his existence, so that use him against them, Sidious can not."

"I understand, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head weakly. "I'll contact them both and let them know what we suspect."

"Track down this killer, we must," Yoda said, as he turned his cane over slowly in his hands.

"Where do we start looking, Master?" Anakin said, as he looked at Yoda inquisitively.

"Repeats itself, history does," Yoda said, as he reached over and touched the computer display in front of them; he tapped the buttons several times, and Anakin watched as a solar system appeared on the display, and then zoomed in to a dark, blue planet.

"Tracked down Jango Fett we did, on Kamino," Yoda said, looking back at Anakin as he spoke. "If true, our theory is," Yoda said, "then start our search there, we will."

Anakin nodded his head, slowly, as he looked at the planet spinning slowly on the display in front of him. Yoda looked at him for a moment; he could sense how deeply troubled the young Jedi Knight was as he considered this dark possibility.

"Remember, Anakin," Yoda said, looking at Anakin supportively as he turned a tired, worried face toward him, "No fault of yours, any of this is. If true this turns out to be," Yoda continued, "then the work of the Dark Lord alone it is."

Anakin nodded his head, and smiled, somewhat faintly; he understood what Yoda was trying to tell him. "I understand, Master," he said, quietly. "And thank you."

"Trust in the Force's guidance, we must," Yoda said, as he climbed down out of his chair and took his small cane in his hand. "Depart for Kamino in the morning, we will," he said, and then turned to look at Anakin again. "But now," he said, looking at Anakin's tired, weary expression, "time to rest, it is."

Anakin watched as Yoda reached out with his hand and pressed the button on the display in front of him; the screen went blank, as the small data cartridge popped out of the drive, and Yoda took it into his small hand and looked at it for a moment.

"Take this with you," Yoda said, as he handed the small device to Anakin. "Go now, to Obi-Wan's residence," he said, as Anakin looked at the small device thoughtfully. "Relay what you have found to him, and share with him what we suspect regarding Dooku's killer."

"Yes, Master," Anakin said obediently; he was exhausted, and even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to resist Yoda's suggestion.

"Contact your companion from the ship you can, in the morning," Yoda said with a nod. "Depart at first light from your landing pad, we will."

"I'll be there," Anakin said, as he stood up and placed the small data cartridge into his belt. He followed closely behind Yoda, as they made their way out of the Archive Library and started down the long hallway toward the Temple entrance.

* * *

Obi-Wan blinked his eyes sleepily, as he heard the long series of beeps and whistles over his cockpit transmitter again.

"What?" Obi-Wan said, groggily, as he took a deep breath and sat up straighter in his seat in the cockpit of his ship. He looked at the display again, as Arfour repeated the long series of whistles and clicks again.

"I'm sorry, Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he reached over and pressed the control switch near the left side of the cockpit. "I suppose that I was sleeping more soundly than I thought I was."

Obi-Wan smiled as he saw Arfour's next series of clicks and whistles appear on the display in front of him; he had been pleased, indeed, when he had learned that his trusted astrodroid had survived the crash of the _Invisible Hand_ with only a few minor damages. He had grown quite accustomed to having him with him, especially on long, quiet voyages such as this.

"Yes, I know, and thank you, Arfour," he grinned. "I do appreciate you piloting the ship tonight," he said. "Now what's the problem?"

Arfour let fly with another long series of whistles and clicks. "Oh, good," Obi-Wan said, as he reached over and switched on the small holographic imaging system in the cockpit of his fighter. "Maybe Anakin's sending that information we were hoping for. Patch it through the encoder and relay it here, Arfour," he said, and he leaned back in the pilot's seat, folding his arms across his chest, as he watched Anakin's image flicker as it appeared over the small imager.

"_Hello, Master,_" Anakin said, nodding his head. "_I hope that I didn't wake you?"_

"As a matter of fact, you did," Obi-Wan yawned, sleepily. "But that's quite all right. You look like you could use a little rest, yourself," he said, looking at Anakin's tired face.

"_I hope to get some shortly_," Anakin said, nodding his head. "_And I'll keep this short, so you can get back to your own. I have some information for you on Utapau that I hope will be helpful for you."_

"I knew you would have," Obi-Wan nodded. "What'd you find?"

"_I'm sending Arfour this series of images of the planet's surface,"_ Anakin said, as Obi-Wan watched him and listened intently. "_It's of a group of large craters in the planet's northern hemisphere. Let me know when you have them,"_ he said, as he looked back up toward Obi-Wan.

"Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he switched on the display directly in front of him, "relay the images as soon as you receive them from Anakin." He watched quietly for a moment, and then the image appeared on the display in front of him.

"I've got it now, Anakin," he said, turning up the brightness on the display a bit. "Go ahead."

"_If you'll look right here, Master,_" Anakin said, as Obi-Wan watched the image draw in closer, revealing more detail of the planet's surface, "_You'll see a series of what appear to be thermal vents rising out of this group of craters."_

"I see them," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head, as he watched the display zoom in, revealing the tall, white towers of gas.

"_This is the only group of vents like these I've found on the entire planet so far,"_ Anakin said. "_They look an awful lot like the exhaust vents we found on Geonosis, near the droid foundry. Remember?"_

"I do," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "So, if Grievous is there and rebuilding his forces, it's a good chance that we might find at least one factory on the planet."

"T_hat's what we're thinking,"_ Anakin said, nodding his head. "_It may just be an unusual natural phenomenon, but it's as good a place to start as any, I suppose."_

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "Good work, Anakin. You've given us a place to start, at least."

"Arfour," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention to the little droid in the back of his ship, "relay this information directly to the battalion ships. Have them meet us just east of these coordinates as soon as we enter the planet's atmosphere, understood?"

Arfour whistled that he did indeed, and Obi-Wan turned his attention back to Anakin as he addressed him again. "_There's something else, Obi-Wan,"_ Anakin said, his expression growing more thoughtful. "_Something I need to tell you about Dooku's killer."_

"What is it, Anakin?' Obi-Wan asked, his own expression growing more concerned as he listened to Anakin intently.

_"When we were on that ship,"_ Anakin said, "_I got a glimpse of his face when I tried to stop him. I didn't say anything to you at the time because, well, I wasn't entirely sure of what I saw."_

"That's alright, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "A lot was going on, then. Have you been able to identify him?"

"_We think so, Master,"_ Anakin said, "_at least, Master Yoda and I believe we have a theory about who he may be, anyway."_ He paused for a moment, and then continued. "_You may find this a little hard to believe."_

"After what we've learned about Palpatine, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a dry laugh, "I think you're going to be hard pressed to shock me, no matter what you think you've found."

"_Well,"_ Anakin said, shaking his head as he continued, "_Brace yourself, Master. I don't know any other way to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it."_

Obi-Wan watched as Anakin's image flickered once or twice, as Anakin took a deep breath. "_We think he may be another clone."_

"A clone?" Obi-Wan said, leaning forward in his seat and looking at Anakin's image intently. "You mean like one of the clone troopers, another clone of Jango?"

"_Not Jango, specifically,"_ Anakin sighed, "_but someone you're very familiar with, a Jedi Knight of your acquaintance."_

Obi-Wan sat quietly for a moment, a look of deep bewilderment on his bearded face. Suddenly, he looked up and out of the cockpit window, as his mouth dropped open in disbelief. He looked back at Anakin's image, as he folded his arms tightly across his chest and looked at his young friend, his right eyebrow lifting curiously as he spoke.

"This Jedi Knight," Obi-Wan said, as he looked at Anakin's image with a look of wry amusement, "he wouldn't happen to have long blonde hair and a tendency for getting his former master into trouble, would he?"

_"Well, I don't know about the whole getting you in trouble, since you were pretty good at doing that yourself... but he does have long, blonde hair,"_ Anakin sighed, a somewhat sheepish grin on his face.

Obi-Wan took a long deep breath, and looked back out of the cockpit window, as he watched the stars streak by, slowly. "Okay, Anakin," he said, finally, as he turned and looked back at his young companion's image, shaking his head. "I have to hand it to you," he said. "You did it, I'm shocked."

_"Sorry, Master,"_ Anakin said, his tone deeply apologetic. "_I'm really sorry I didn't say anything to you sooner,"_ he said. "_I just wasn't sure that I believe what I'd seen."_

"I understand, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "It's all right," he said. "I'm not sure that I'd have believed it either." He paused for a moment, taking a long deep breath. "Are you absolutely sure, Anakin?"

"_I believe so,"_ Anakin said, nodding his head. "_We even have a theory about how Dooku would have obtained the sample he needed."_

Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin, curiously. "The probe? On Geonosis?"

"_Yes,"_ Anakin said with a nod. "_That's what we're thinking, if this turns out to be true."_

"So what's your plan?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at Anakin's flickering image intently.

"_Master Yoda and I are leaving first thing in the morning for Kamino,"_ Anakin said. "_Yoda feels that it's as good a place as any to start. If Dooku did have another clone created, it's a fair bet that it would have had to be done on Kamino."_

"Four years, though," Obi-Wan said, thoughtfully. "They told me it took a full five years to grow a clone to adulthood, successfully."

"_Maybe they've made improvements,"_ Anakin said, shrugging his shoulders a bit. "_Either way, if it was done successfully, it's a fair bet the cloners on Kamino pulled it off."_

"I agree," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "Contact me when you and Master Yoda get underway in the morning, will you?" Obi-Wan looked at Anakin's tired, weary expression. "I think it'd be a good idea for you to get some rest now, Anakin. You haven't had any since we left Naboo."

_"Understood, Master,"_ Anakin nodded. "_You try to do the same, too. You've still got a way to go till morning."_

"I will," Obi-Wan said. "And tell Master Yoda that I'll contact the both of you as soon as we get to Utapau," he said. "Hopefully, we'll turn up the evidence we need quickly."

"_I will,"_ Anakin said, and then he smiled weakly at his former master. "_And remember, if you happen to see me out there anywhere,"_ he said, "_my saber blades are white, remember? And I do carry two."_

"Believe me," Obi-Wan nodded, "It'll be the first thing I check for. Get some rest, Anakin. We'll talk first thing tomorrow."

_"You too, Obi-Wan,_" Anakin said with a nod. "_And be careful. May the Force be with you."_

"May the Force be with you, Anakin," Obi-Wan nodded, and he watched as Anakin's signal flashed, and then faded away.

Obi-Wan took a long, deep breath, and then looked back out of the cockpit toward the stars that slipped silently by, as the ship's engines hummed softly. "As if things weren't complicated enough, Arfour," he said with a sigh, and then he settled himself back down into his seat.

"Wake me when we get close to the Utapau system, Arfour," he said, and he leaned his head back against the headrest of the pilot's chair, and closed his eyes. With everything he had just been told, he thought to himself, it was going to take him a while to drift back to sleep.

* * *

_Anakin screamed again, as loudly as he could, but it was no use. No matter how hard he tried, she simply couldn't hear him._

_He blinked his eyes in the thick smoke as he ran after her, calling to her frantically. It was no use; Padmé simply couldn't hear him over the rumble of the continuous thunder that rolled through the angry, boiling sky above them, and he watched, through the thick, smoky haze of the angry, volcanic terrain, as he saw her run through the opening and into the dark, rocky structure ahead of him, her dark blue cloak billowing around her as she ran._

_He ignited the blades of his sabers, as the sea of droids closed in around him, blocking his path; he swung his weapons fiercely, their brilliant white blades sending the droids crashing to the rocky ground around him, as he pushed his way through the massive throng, screaming angrily as his white-hot blades cut a path toward the structure's entrance, toward the place where he had seen her disappear._

_He screamed again as he swung the light saber in his left hand in front of him, slicing neatly through the last few droids that blocked his path, and bolted as quickly as the Force would allow him to up the winding pathway toward the dark archway in front of him._

_He stumbled, suddenly, as the wave of pain struck him like a fierce wind; it cut through him like one of the sabers he held tightly in his hands. "Padmé!" he screamed, as he regained his footing and crossed the last few feet to the entrance, and plunged headlong into the pitch-black opening._

_He ran through the darkness, screaming her name as loudly as he could, as the intense feeling of pain coursed through his body. He turned himself round and round in the darkness, his eyes searching for any sign of her, the blades of his sabers casting a blue-white glow to the stone floor around him as he ran through the dark passageway._

_The darkness changed, suddenly, to a thick haze, and he could make out shadows in the distance ahead of him. "Padmé, can you hear me!" he cried in despair, as he ran as quickly as he could toward the two shadowy figures ahead of him._

_He broke through the thick haze and into the dim light of the massive, stone cavern, his sabers still glowing and humming at his sides, as the dark figure stood quietly in front of him, the back of his thick, black cloak turned toward him, as it billowed wildy in the wind that coursed through the dark chamber._

_He looked down at the stone floor, as the dark figure turned and took a long step back; he felt his heart cry out in agony, as he saw Padmé lying motionless on the cold, hard floor. "Noooooo!" he screamed again, as he ran to her side, dropping his weapons to the floor beside him as he scooped her up and cradled her in his arms, another wave of searing pain and despair sweeping through his body._

_He turned and looked up, through a haze of tears and smoke, as the sound of a dark, sinister laugh began to fill the chamber, and he watched as the dark figure took a step toward him, the brilliant crimson blade of his light saber blazing forth as he held it tightly in his fist. Anakin looked up, as the sinister laughter echoed off the cold stone walls; the angry pair of glowing yellow eyes stared down at him from under the thick, dark hood as the dark figure slowly raised his crimson blade up high over his head, and brought it down toward them with a brilliant flash._

"Nooo!" Anakin cried, as he jerked himself awake and sat up in the bed; his breathing came in ragged gasps as he looked around frantically for a moment, his eyes searching the darkness, as he tried desperately to get the remnants of that terrifying image out of his mind.

He took a deep breath as he reached deeply into the Force, attempting to calm himself. _It was only a dream, Anakin, only a dream, _he told himself, over and over, as he lay back down, slowly, and draped his arm over his eyes as he closed them tightly. He felt the sweat on his forehead roll slowly down the side of his face, and he reached up with his other hand and wiped it away, slowly, and then took another long, deep breath.

It was the first nightmare he had had in four years, and he lay there for a long time, trying to calm his trembling nerves and reassure himself that it was only a dream, that it was just the situation that he now found himself in that had caused it. _Padmé's fine, you know that; she's asleep and safe at home, _he told himself. Yet, try as he may, he couldn't get the nightmarish sensation of the pain he had sensed in his dream out of his mind.

He tossed the bedclothes to his side, as he sat up on the edge of the bed in the darkness, running his trembling hand slowly through his hair as he took another long, deep breath. _This is silly, _he told himself; _You're going to call her and wake her up in the middle of the night and worry her for no good reason. _He looked across the dark room toward the comm station for a long moment, as he tried to convince himself that Padmé was fine, that it was only a dream, that he should just go back to bed and let her rest; she was having as hard a time being apart from him as he was from her. She didn't need anything else to worry about.

He looked down toward the floor and closed his eyes again; he felt that same chill run down his back again as he saw those cold, yellow eyes glowing at him again in the darkness.

He stood up, slowly, as he looked down at the chest of his light brown pajama top; he could see the dark brown splotches where his sweat had drenched it. He turned and looked at the comm station again, taking another deep breath. He couldn't help it; he had to know that she was safe, even though he could still sense her soothing tremor in his heart. He needed to see her, to hear her voice, and he needed her now.

"She can sleep in in the morning," he sighed, as he walked to the comm station and sat down slowly in the chair. He looked at his trembling hands for another moment, and then reached over and pressed the button on the console; he blinked, as the screen in front of him flashed brightly, casting a bluish white glow to his deeply worried face as he inserted his signal encrypter into the slot and powered up the transmitter.

* * *

Artoo sat quietly at the maintenance station on board the ship; his sensors were all off line, with the exception of the few he required to keep an eye on the communications console, as he quietly ran through his self diagnostics in the dark cockpit.

He had finished his diagnostics of the ship's engine systems a bit earlier, just an hour or so after Padmé had finished her conversation with Anakin and had gone back to the house. He had plugged himself in for a leisurely recharge and placed himself in low power mode; he sat in silence, slowly running his self diagnostics routine, checking his data banks for any errors or erroneous information; it was a rare occasion when a droid could enjoy a moment of pure, electronic bliss, and for Artoo, this moment of self indulgence was as good as it gets.

His evening of digital nirvana was to be short lived, however; the little droid's sensor dome lit up brightly, just as he detected the flashing signal indicator on the ship's communications console. He whistled softly as he quickly ejected the power cable from his recharge port, and, leaning backward and kicking his center wheel out onto the deck of the ship, he rolled quickly to the comm station and turned to face it; he popped his data probe into the station's control disk, spinning it quickly, and he whistled brightly as he locked in on Anakin's incoming signal.

* * *

Padmé opened her eyes, as she heard the soft whir of Artoo's motors coming down the hallway toward her room. _What's he doing coming in here at this hour of the night, _she thought to herself, as she lifted her head from her pillow and leaned up on her elbow, listening to the soft whir of his motors as he rolled closer.

She had been awake for quite some time; she had awakened a while ago, and had found it hard to go back to sleep again. She tossed the bedclothes to her side, and climbed out of the bed as quickly as she could, picking up her robe from the chair beside her bed and tossing it onto her shoulders as she walked quickly toward the door to her room, reaching over and picking up the small translator display from her dresser as she reached for the doorknob and turned it, as quietly as she could.

She opened the door, just in time to see the little droid roll up to her. She finished tying the sash of her robe around her waist, and then looked down at Artoo as she placed her finger to her lips.

"What is it, Artoo?" she whispered, as she looked at the little droid anxiously.

Artoo whistled, softly, and Padmé looked at the small display in her hand as she watched the message appear on the translator. She looked at the display for a moment, and then walked quickly to the closet near her and slipped on her sandals. "Let's go," she said, closing the closet door and nodding her head toward Artoo, and the little droid spun quickly on his wheels and headed back down the hallway. Padmé stepped out into the dark hall, closing the door to her room behind her as softly as she could, and then turned and walked quietly and quickly down the hallway after Artoo.

Padmé stepped quickly past her faithful little astrodroid in the living room, and quietly opened the front door to the house, holding it for him as he whistled a quick '_thank you _in reply and rolled out onto the front walkway. She stepped out into the cool night air, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible, and then walked beside Artoo as they made their way around the winding walkway and down toward the hangar near the meadow below the house, his maintenance lights illuminating the path before them as they went.

Padmé looked up as she clutched her robe closed at her neck, as a soft chill crept slowly up her back; the sky was crystal clear tonight, as the cool autumn air swept the sky free of any trace of clouds, and she looked up at the stars as they twinkled brilliantly in the dark sky above her. She and Anakin had spent many nights like this one in the meadow, and she looked toward the eastern horizon; she could see Coruscant's binary star system, its two tiny yellow tinted stars twinkling just above the tree line. _I'm coming, Anakin, _she willed to him in her heart, as she turned her eyes back to the path in front of them as she and Artoo made their way into the hangar toward their ship.

The ramp was already down, and she could see the dim lights glowing inside the ship as she walked quickly up the ramp and headed toward the cockpit; Artoo had already brought the cabin lights up partially and turned on the cockpit heaters, and Padmé took a seat on the bench and watched as the little droid rolled past her toward the communications console. He popped his data probe into the control wheels and started to spin them back and forth quickly, as he brought the transmitter on line and signaled Anakin across the vast expanse of space between them.

* * *

Anakin rubbed his eyes, sleepily, as he waited in the dim light for Artoo's signal; he yawned, and then turned his worried face back toward the console's display, watching the signal indicator light intently.

_I shouldn't have called her, _he thought to himself, as he folded his arms tightly across his chest and leaned back in the chair. _She needs her rest, and now you've sent Artoo to wake her up for no good reason. She's going to be worried sick, _he thought, and he sighed deeply, as he closed his eyes and rubbed them again, worriedly.

_I couldn't have slept if I didn't, though, _he though, as he opened his eyes and took another long breath and sighed deeply as he exhaled. _And she needs to know all of this, everything that's happening._

It wasn't just the dream, though, that had brought him to the console where he sat; he missed her, terribly; more so than he could ever remember. He wanted to reassure himself that she was indeed safe and sound, yes, and to make her aware of everything that was going on; but more than that, he needed to hear her comforting voice, to see her lovely face, to hear her tell him that everything was going to be all right.

Anakin heard the soft beep, and he opened his eyes and turned his attention to the display, just as the signal indicator light began to flash brightly. He reached over and pressed the switch on the transmitter, and watched the holographic display as it flashed several times, and then locked in on Artoo's incoming signal.

* * *

Padmé watched as Anakin's image appeared on the holographic display above the small table; she smiled at him, trying to conceal her own worried countenance as best she could. "Hey, sweetheart," she said, softly, as she saw him smile back at her. "Is everything okay?"

"_That's what I was calling to find out,_" Anakin said, a worried tone in his voice. "_Are you all right? Is everything okay there?"_

"Of course, Ani, I'm fine," Padmé said, as she looked at his deeply troubled image as it flickered softly in front of her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

_"I was just worried about you,"_ Anakin said, as he took a deep breath and sighed with a sense of relief. "_I just needed to make sure you were okay, Padmé, that's all."_

_"I'm so sorry I woke you up, Angel,"_ he said apologetically. "_I knew I should have let you sleep."_ He smiled at her, sheepishly. "_I woke you and the babies up."_

"No, baby, please don't be sorry," Padmé said warmly, shaking her head. "I was awake anyway, and I was just lying there thinking about you. I'm so glad you called me."

"_What were you doing awake?"_ Anakin asked, his countenance growing more relaxed. "_It's almost dawn there, you should have been asleep at this hour."_

"I woke up about forty five minutes ago," Padmé said softly, as she wrapped her arms around herself; it was still a bit cool on the ship, but the air was beginning to warm as the cockpit heaters slowly did their job. "I don't know why, really," she said, looking at him with a somewhat worried smile. "I just woke up thinking about you, and I haven't been able to go back to sleep since."

Anakin looked at the time on the console in front of him; it was just past two in the morning now; almost exactly forty five minutes had passed since his nightmare had awakened him. He knew in his heart that it was no coincidence that the two of them were awake.

"_Well,"_ Anakin sighed, "_that must have been my fault, then. I had a dream that I didn't particularly enjoy, and I woke up just about the same time you did."_ He paused and gazed at her fondly for a long moment. "_I guess you can sense a lot more than just how much I love you these days, huh?"_

"I guess so," Padmé said softly, as she leaned closer to his image on the display in front of her; she could tell, instinctively, that something was troubling him. "What's wrong, Ani?" she asked. "What's troubling you?"

_"Master Obi-Wan came back, not long after you and I talked tonight,"_ Anakin said, his expression becoming deeply serious. "_The Council's meeting went even worse than they expected with Chancellor Palpatine. _H_e refused to hear the Council's recommendation,"_ Anakin continued. "_He's refusing to lay aside his emergency power and recall the clone army."_

"Oh, no," Padmé sighed deeply, as she closed her eyes and sat quietly for a moment. She had known in her heart that Anakin's suspicions regarding the Chancellor were correct; but now, she felt a sinking feeling in her heart as Palpatine's own actions confirmed her husband's suspicions. "That's terrible," Padmé said softly, as she slowly opened her eyes and looking back up at his image on the holopad.

_"It gets even worse,"_ Anakin continued. "_He's blaming the Jedi for creating the clone army and holding the Council responsible for starting the war, and for Dooku's actions as well."_

Anakin paused for a moment, casting his gaze toward the floor in front of him as Padmé listened in shocked disbelief. "_He's meeting with a delegation from the Senate tomorrow,"_ he said, "_to discuss removing the Council's role and influence from the Republic entirely."_

"_We had an emergency meeting of the entire Council tonight,"_ Anakin said. "_They've agreed that the Chancellor's actions are suspicious,"_ he said, as Padmé watched him turn his troubled face back toward her. _"Obi-Wan left a few hours ago with two battalions of clone troopers for Utapau, to try to capture General Grievous and gather evidence to support what we suspect about the Chancellor."_

_"It doesn't look good for the Republic right now,"_ Anakin sighed, shaking his head as Padmé watched his image flicker again. "_I only hope it's not too late to stop Palpatine before something awful happens."_

"Oh, Ani," Padmé sighed softly, as she leaned back slowly against the bench where she sat. "No wonder you couldn't sleep, baby." They both sat quietly for a moment, as Padmé watched him turn his troubled face downward again.

"Anakin," Padmé asked, as she leaned forward and looked at his image on the holographic pad closely, "did you get a chance to talk with Master Yoda about what you saw on the ship? You know, what we were talking about earlier tonight?"

Padmé watched his image as he took a long, deep breath, and then nodded his head slowly. _"Yes,"_ Anakin said. "_I did, just a few hours ago, right after we met with the Council."_

"What did he say?" Padmé asked, as she looked at him thoughtfully.

_"He said,"_ Anakin sighed, a tone of deep concern in his voice, "_that we may have to consider the possibility that what I saw wasn't just some trick or random image that the Sith placed in my mind just to escape."_

Padmé's brow furrowed as Anakin looked at her thoughtfully. "_Remember that probe, the one that Dooku stunned me with on Geonosis in the hangar that day?"_

Padmé nodded her head slowly, and she watched him fold his hands thoughtfully in front of him. "_Master Yoda thinks that it may have had another purpose,"_ Anakin said. "_He thinks that Dooku may have used it to get a genetic sample from me that day."_

Anakin paused for a moment, and then turned his deeply troubled expression to her. _"And that he may have used it."_

Padmé's mouth dropped open slightly, and she sat silently for a moment as Anakin's words reverberated through her mind. "Oh, no," she said, softly, as she saw the look of pain and anguish on her beloved husband's face. "Ani, are you saying that you believe Dooku cloned you?"

"_We think so,_" Anakin said, nodding his head weakly. "_I told Master Yoda about the cuts you found on my back that night, and he thinks that it's enough evidence for us to have to consider that he might have."_

Padmé could feel her own heart aching along with his. "Oh, Ani," she said softly, as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself again, "Are you all right?"

"_I'd be a lot better if all of this turned out just to be a bad dream,"_ Anakin said, offering her a weak smile in reply. "_But deep down inside, I know it's not."_

_"We're going to Kamino in the morning,"_ Anakin said, as Padmé listened to him intently, still clutching herself tightly. "_Yoda thinks that if Dooku actually did have me cloned, we might find the evidence we need there to prove it."_

"_I wanted to be sure you knew,"_ Anakin said, looking back at her, a look of deep concern on his young face. "_I can't imagine that anything would happen there on Naboo, but just in case..."_

Padmé knew what he was thinking. She wanted so badly to be there with him now, to hold him, to assure him that everything was going to be all right, just as he always did for her. "Don't worry, Anakin," she said, smiling reassuringly back at him. "Dooku may have been able to clone your body, and maybe even your abilities," she said, "but he could never clone your heart."

Padmé gazed at him lovingly, as she watched his image flicker softly in the dim cabin light. "There's only one Anakin Skywalker," she said, softly, as she reached out to him with her feelings, hoping that he could sense the love and devotion that flowed through her, as she placed her hands over her heart. "He's my husband, and he's my life." She shook her head slowly, as she gazed at him fondly. "You can't clone that."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Padmé said with a reassuring smile. "I could tell a forgery a parsec away, and I'm as efficient as ever with a blaster pistol."

Padmé watched as he looked up and smiled softly at her. "_I know you are, and I know you could tell the difference,"_ Anakin said, nodding his head. "_I just needed to make sure that you knew about all of this."_

Anakin paused for a moment, taking another long, deep breath. "_I just hope that Yoda and I are both wrong,"_ he said, as he turned his gaze downward again.

"I know," Padmé said softly, nodding her head. "I hope you are, too," she said, "but if history is any indication, the odds aren't good that you are."

Anakin nodded his head, and sat quietly for a long moment. "_That's not all, Padmé,"_ Anakin said quietly. "_Master Yoda said something to me tonight, something that's bothered me a lot, ever since he said it."_

"What did he say, Ani?" Padmé asked quietly, as she watched his image flicker a couple of times in the dim light.

"_His exact words were,_ '_Of utmost importance it is, Anakin, that you protect Padmé and your younglings at all costs. On this, all things may depend," _Anakin said, as he looked at Padmé, his countenance deeply troubled.

Padmé instinctively placed her hands on her stomach, as she listened to the dark, foreboding words that Anakin relayed to her. _"I think Master Yoda senses something terrible, Padmé,"_ he said, quietly. "_Why would he tell me that, if he didn't think something terrible was going to happen?"_

"You've always protected us, Ani," Padmé said softly. "And you always will. I'm sure that Master Yoda is just as deeply troubled as you are about what's going on. He senses the same things that you do." She smiled at him softly as she watched his image flicker again on the holopad.

"Master Yoda is probably just worried, Ani," Padmé said softly. "Just like we are."

He paused for a moment as his dream flashed through his mind again, and then turned his worried face back to her. "_I just need to know you're safe, Padmé,"_ he said softly. "_If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."_

"Me, either," Padmé said softly, shaking her head slowly. "Promise me you'll be careful, Ani," she said, as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know you have to be there, Anakin, I really do. I just want all of this to be over, now, and for you to come home."

Padmé opened her eyes and looked across the cockpit of their ship as she leaned back slowly against the bench where she sat. 'None of this was supposed to happen," she sighed, as a shadow of deep concern spread over her face.

"It was hard enough sending you with Obi-Wan, just to go handle this one mission," Padmé said, as she turned her troubled face back to Anakin's image on the holopad. "But now, all of this is just getting too big too fast," she said softly, her voice trembling softly as she spoke.

"I'm so scared, Anakin," Padmé said, her voice almost a whisper as she spoke. "I've never been so scared in all of my life."

"Please promise me that you'll be extra careful," Padmé said softly, pleading with him. "If anything happened to you..."

"_Please don't be scared, Padmé,"_ Anakin said softly, nodding his head reassuringly. "_I'm not going to let anything happen to me or to you, I promise. Okay?"_

"Okay," Padmé said, as she forced a smile and nodded her head. "I believe you."

"_And you're probably right,"_ Anakin said, taking a deep breath and nodding his head. "_Master Yoda's just worried about all this, just like we are,"_ he said. "_But I want you to be extra careful just the same, okay?"_

"I will," Padmé said, nodding her head. "I promise."

_"And not just you,"_ Anakin said, "_but the whole family. Mom, Dad, everybody; I want you all to be extra careful until I get home."_

"We will, Anakin," Padmé said, nodding her head reassuringly. "I promise. I'll talk to all of them in the morning. You have my word, sweetheart."

"_Okay,"_ Anakin said with a nod. "_And have Artoo contact Owen and Beru on Tatooine, too, and let them know what's going on. I don't want any of our family being in the dark about any of this, okay?"_

"I promise," Padmé said with a nod. "They're about twelve hours ahead of us, so I'll contact them as soon as we get through talking," she said. "And I'll be sure to use the new encrypters you built, too."

"_Okay,"_ Anakin said, as he took another deep breath and sighed deeply. "_And I'll be home just as soon as I can, I promise."_

Anakin looked back at her for a long moment. "_I'm sorry, Angel,"_ he said, as he gazed back at her fondly. "_All I've done is give you a lot of bad news tonight, and now I know you're going to be worried sick."_

"Anakin," Padmé sighed, gazing at him fondly, "Do you remember that night on Tatooine, right after I got hurt, the night we went looking for your mother?"

"_Yes_," Anakin said, softly. "_I'll never be able to forget it."_

"I was sure that night, when I was lying on that ground with the Tuskens coming toward me, that I was going to die," Padmé said, softly. "But then you were there, and you drove them away, and you held me in your arms and told me everything was going to be all right."

Anakin took a deep breath as he listened to her warm, reassuring voice. "And that day on Geonosis, when Viceroy Gunray stepped in front of me with that knife," Padmé continued, "I was sure then that I was going to die."

"And then, the next thing I knew," Padmé said, as she gazed at him lovingly, reaching out to him across the stars with all of the love in her heart, "you came crashing through that window, and you drove them away again, and I was back in your arms, and everything was all right."

"For the last four years, Anakin," Padmé said softly, "you've brought me nothing but love and happiness, more than I ever dreamed possible."

"I can handle a little bad news," Padmé nodded. "Because I know we'll make it through this together, and that you'll always be there to make sure that everything turns out all right."

Padmé closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on the familiar tremor that she felt in her heart; it was strong now, stronger than it had been since he had left home. She opened her eyes and looked at him for a long moment, as she focused on the intense feeling of love and devotion that flowed through her.

"I love you so much, Anakin Skywalker," she said, as she looked at the image of his smiling face on the holopad before her. "And I'm so very, very proud of you."

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked back at her with a smile. "_I love you, Padmé Skywalker,"_ he said, as he gazed at her lovingly. "_More than you'll ever know. And you're right,"_ he said softly, nodding his head. "_We'll make it through this, and we'll do it together."_

"We've always done everything together," Padmé smiled. "And we've done pretty well, haven't we?" She shook her head and smiled at him again. "No sense changing things now."

"_Nope,"_ Anakin said, as he smiled brightly back at her. "_No point in messing with perfection._" He paused for a moment, and gazed at her fondly. "_Thank you, Padmé,"_ Anakin said softly. "_I feel a lot better now that I've talked to you,"_ he said, and then he smiled sheepishly at her. "_But I'm sorry I made Artoo come get you out of bed at this hour."_

"I'm not," Padmé sighed. "I'm not sorry at all."

Padmé smiled as she watched him lean back in the chair and yawn deeply. "You need to get some rest, Ani," Padmé said, as she turned her head and looked at the clock on the ship's console. "You're going to have a busy day tomorrow, and Master Yoda probably won't want to wait around till mid morning to get started."

"_No, he definitely won't do that_," Anakin chuckled, shaking his head. "_I've never actually seen him sleep. I'm not even sure that he does."_

"Well, you do, and you need too," Padmé said, nodding her head at him. "Now I want you to go back to sleep and rest," she said. "And no more nightmares, okay?"

"_Okay,"_ Anakin smiled, nodding his head. "_I promise."_

"Get some rest, baby," Padmé said. "Will you be able to contact me in the morning, when you get underway?"

_"Sure,_" Anakin said, nodding his head. "_I'll contact you first thing when we head out, I promise. Now_," Anakin sighed, "_you take yourself and our babies and go back to bed and get some sleep, okay?"_

"I will," she smiled softly back at him. "As soon as Artoo and I get through to Owen and Beru, I'll have him escort me back inside," she said. "I promise."

"_Okay,_" Anakin said, and he gazed lovingly at her for a long moment. "_Sleep well and sweet dreams, Angel. I love you very much."_

"I love you, baby," Padmé smiled in reply. "Sleep well and sweet dreams."

"_Goodnight, Padmé,_" Anakin smiled. "_Talk to you tomorrow."_

"Goodnight, Ani," Padmé said softly, and she watched him reach over toward the console in front of him, and his signal flickered twice, and then faded away.

Padmé took a long, deep breath, and then turned to Artoo as he swung his sensor dome toward her. "Get Owen and Beru online, Artoo," she said, as she stood up and walked toward the cabinet in the back of the cockpit and took out the small signal encrypter that Anakin had placed there just a few days ago after he had completed them.

She placed it in the encrypter slot on the holographic control pad, and then sat back down on the bench in front of the table and watched as Artoo went to work at the control wheels again.

"We've got a lot to tell them," she said with a long, deep sigh as she leaned back against the bench, folding her arms thoughtfully over her chest as she rolled all that Anakin had told her over in her mind.

* * *

Anakin reached over and pressed the switch on the console, and watched with a smile as her image flickered several times, and then faded. He pressed the power switch next to the display, and sat quietly in the chair for a long moment as his eyes adjusted to the darkness again.

He stood up, sliding the chair back up under the console, and then walked slowly and thoughtfully across the room and sat down slowly on the edge of the bed. He looked up toward the window near the bed, and he watched quietly for a moment, as never ending throngs of speeders and transports wove in and out of the brilliantly lit buildings that reached like glowing spindles into the dark, evening sky.

He felt better, now that he had talked to her, and he lay back down in the bed, pulling the bedclothes up over himself, and then folded his arms behind his head as he looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling above him.

Padmé was right; this was all getting too big, too dangerous, and far too fast. He looked over at the nightstand beside him; he could see the light that filtered through the window glint brightly off the smooth, metal handles of his sabers. He looked at them thoughtfully for a long moment, and then rolled over onto his side, tucking his arm under his pillow. He took a long, deep breath, and closed his eyes.

He felt himself begin to relax, as he sensed her familiar, soothing tremor in his heart. "I love you, Padmé," he whispered softly, and then he slowly drifted back to sleep, as her warm, soothing tremor lulled him peacefully back to sleep.


	7. The Day the Republic Died, Part 1

_**Chapter 7: The Day The Republic Died, Part 1**_

Anakin stepped out of the doorway onto the landing platform; the early morning air was cool and damp, and he took a deep breath as he looked out at the thick fog that hung over the city as the first sun's rays began to break over the horizon.

The tops of the tallest buildings could be seen, jutting through the thick blanket of fog like a handful of a child's building blocks strewn across a thick blanket of snow. He looked up toward the dark purple sky, and watched as the sun's rays began to paint the bottom of the slow moving clouds a deep reddish-gold as the smaller of Coruscant's two suns began to slip into the morning sky.

He stood quietly, pulling his thick brown cloak tighter around him, as he stood in the cool morning air and listened to the sound of the city bustling below him. Coruscant was a city that never slept, at least not all at one time; at any time of the day or night, the city was bustling with activity, from the old, seedy lower levels to the shining new tops of the buildings and structures that rose high into the sky.

Coruscant was more like a living organism than a giant city; where most cities simply tore down old structures to make way for the new, the massive city planet simply added another layer on top of the old as it grew. Indeed, the city had covered all of the planet's inhabitable land mass several thousand years ago, and for the last twenty or so centuries, it had simply evolved upward into the sky, adding a new shining layer on the top as the older ones decayed below, closer to the planet's surface.

Anakin had been to the city's lower levels on several occasions, when he had been Obi-Wan's apprentice. Indeed, he remembered the last time he had been there, when he and his master had pursued Zam Wesel down through the planet's depths; it wasn't a place that most people wanted to go, and he was thankful that Padmé had never seen it, even during her terms as Senator.

He took another deep breath, as he looked out across the foggy city; he remembered when he used to relish these trips to the massive city planet. Now though, even with all of its brilliant lights and splendor, he found the city to be cold and empty, when he compared it to his green, peaceful home with Padmé on Naboo.

Yet with all of its teaming life and billions of inhabitants, the living Force was so much harder to sense here, even for him. Anakin had grown so used to its presence at home that now, as he closed his eyes and reached into the Force, he felt as though he were sensing its presence through a thick blanket of fog, just like the one that hung over the city on this cool autumn morning. He reached up and pulled his hood a little farther up over his head, as he felt the cool damp air on his ears; it was no wonder, he thought to himself, that the Council hadn't been able to sense what he had about Chancellor Palpatine, if their ability to sense the Force's guidance here was a clouded as his felt now.

Anakin looked up from his thoughts, as he heard the ship's thrusters approaching the platform from the distance. He watched as the large, silver cruiser emerged from the cloud bank and swept up over the side of the building, firing its landing thrusters and settling slowly onto the landing pad in front of him.

Anakin walked quickly across the platform toward the ship, as it's side access door opened and dropped to the platform with a muffled thud. He looked up as he walked, and he saw Master Yoda step into the doorway, his gimmer stick clutched tightly in his knurled, short fingers, watching him as he approached the ship.

"Good morning, young Skywalker," Yoda nodded, quite pleasantly, as Anakin took hold of the ramp's railing and pulled himself up into the ship. "Slept well, I trust you did, hmmm?"

"Good morning, Master," Anakin replied, as he stepped up into the cockpit and tossed his hood back onto his shoulders. "I did indeed, once I finally fell asleep," he said. He turned and watched as Yoda pressed the button on the side of the doorway, and then turned toward the clone pilot who sat in the ship's main console.

"Ready we are, captain," Yoda said with a nod as the ship's door sealed itself shut and the cabin pressurized itself with a rush of air. "Depart we may, as soon as you are ready."

"Yes, Master Yoda," the pilot replied with a nod, and then he turned his gaze back to the controls, and Anakin looked out of the front window as the thrusters fired and they lifted slowly off the damp platform, the engines kicking up whirling clouds of moisture as they rose into the air.

Anakin slipped his cloak off of his shoulders as Yoda walked toward him and take a seat on the bench across from him. "How did you sleep, Master?" Anakin asked, as Yoda watched him fold his cloak neatly and lay it on the bench, and then take a seat directly across from him.

"Not as well, I fear, as I would have liked," Yoda sighed, quite deeply, "but well enough, nonetheless." Yoda turned and motioned toward the small cabinet that separated the two benches where they sat, just beneath the window to Anakin's left. "Food and drink, we have," he grinned, "if hungry you are."

"As a matter of fact," Anakin replied, cocking one eyebrow slyly, as he stood up and walked to the cabinet, kneeling down in front of it and opening the door, inspecting its contents with rapturous lust, "I'm starving."

Yoda chuckled under his breath, as he watched Anakin take a large carton of juice from the cabinet, along with several packages of breakfast pastries. "Remembered that about you, I did," he chuckled. "Always hungry, you were, Obi-Wan used to say," Yoda said, as Anakin closed the cabinet and returned to his seat across from him, placing the items in his hands on the small table between them.

"Padmé would agree with him, Master," Anakin grinned, as he opened the container of juice and took a long, thirsty swallow. "She likes to tease me about the fact that I'm always hungry," he said, as he placed the container back on the table and picked up one of the pastries and started to open it.

Yoda grinned, his long ears twitching, as he watched Anakin take a large, hungry bite of the pastry and sigh, deeply. "She says," Anakin mused, his voice a bit muffled as he chewed, "that if our little ones eat like I do, we're going to have to take up farming to feed them."

Yoda chuckled again, as he stood up and walked to the cabinet and inspected it for a moment himself, taking a small container of _jil'andigo_ in his hand as he closed the cabinet and walked back to his seat.

"Uhhgh," Anakin frowned, as he recognized the dark, syrupy beverage in Yoda's hand as the Jedi Master took his seat again and looked back at Anakin with a puzzled smile.

"How can you drink that stuff, Master?" Anakin said, wrinkling up his nose as he watched Yoda open the container and inhale the dark beverage deeply. "Obi-Wan likes it," he said, as Yoda grinned back at him, "but I never could accumulate a taste for it."

"Gave up too early, you did," Yoda chuckled, as he paused and took a long swig of the thick beverage. "Learned to drink it I did, on the planet where it is made, four hundred years ago," Yoda said, leaning back against the bench and watching Anakin as he shook his head in playful disgust and went back to his breakfast.

"Only three or four years it should take," Yoda mused, quite slyly, "and relish it like I do, you would."

"That's okay," Anakin laughed, as he waved his hand in front of his face and then swallowed another bite of his breakfast. "I think I'll just stick with this."

"Served you well, it seems to have," Yoda chuckled, as he watched Anakin open another pastry. "A strong, sizable fellow, you have become, from the small boy you used to be." Yoda paused, as he took another sip of his beverage. "Good at farming, I think you would be," he chuckled, "if correct your companion is."

Anakin smiled back at him and nodded his head as he chewed, and then he turned his attention to the ship's window beside them. He watched as the sky faded quickly from gray to black, the stars shining brightly around them as they made their way through the atmosphere into open space.

"It's been a long time since I've traveled this much," Anakin sighed, as he turned his attention back to Yoda. "How long will it take us to reach Kamino?" he asked, as he watched Yoda turn and look out of the window as he took another sip of the beverage in his small hand.

"Three or four hours, I believe," Yoda said, turning to look back at Anakin. "But much we have to talk about," he nodded. "Pass quickly, I believe, the time will."

Anakin nodded his head, just as he heard the ship's star drive power up. They both turned and looked out of the window beside them, as the stars suddenly stretched and surged past them, as the pilot engaged the ship's hyperspace engines.

In a flash, the tiny ship disappeared into the blackness of space, carrying its occupants toward whatever destiny awaited them on the dark, watery world.

* * *

Obi-Wan walked, as quickly as he could, up the rocky slope of the crater's outer rim; the ejecta blanket was deep and powdery, and he looked down for a moment as he walked, watching the small clouds of rust colored powder that his boots kicked up with each step, as they sank deeply into the soft, powdery surface.

_With any luck, _he thought to himself, _this stuff's only on the outer rim of these craters; _it was slow going, and he turned and looked behind him for a moment as he neared the top of the crater, looking out over the rocky, barren landscape.

Utapau was an angry, barren world; the planets orbit around its large, yellow sun took it through a massive asteroid belt each solar year, and the results of this violent, unfortunate orbit were readily evident across the planet's surface. The rust colored landscape was covered with massive craters as far as the eye could see, stretching out toward the rocky, jagged horizon. There, the planet's features met with the orange-yellow sky, and he watched as huge clouds of pulverized dust whipped up from the barren landscape and swirled into the air, covering the landscape with a haze that shifted continually with the wind, as it swept over the rims of the craters and down into the shallow valleys between them.

He turned and watched for a moment, as the two detachments of clone troopers followed him up the rim of the crater. He stood quietly as he did, allowing himself to catch his breath, until he heard the familiar voice behind him.

"Master Kenobi," he heard the voice call, as he turned and looked up to the clone commander who crouched, about fifty meters from him, near the rim of the crater. "Hurry, sir," the commander called, as he motioned for Obi-Wan to join him. "I believe we've found something."

Obi-Wan covered the distance between them as quickly as he could, and then knelt beside the clone commander as he peered over the rim of the crater with his long-range glasses. "What is it, Commander Cody?" Obi-Wan asked, as he watched the helmeted clone commander lower his glasses and turn toward him.

"It would seem that Master Skywalker was correct, sir," Cody responded, handing the binoculars to Obi-Wan and gesturing toward the large columns of steam that jetted into the rust colored sky.

Obi-Wan looked through the binoculars, and swept them quickly down the columns of rising gas toward the base of the crater. He spun the small dial between the two optical pieces gently with his finger, drawing the image in tighter, as he focused on the large cavern near the bottom of the crater, just to the east of the four massive gas plumes.

He could see the four sentry droids who stood near the cavern's entrance. They stood quietly, two on either side of the massive stone tunnel that seemed to snake down into the planet's surface at the base of the crater. He swung the glasses toward the center of the crater again; he could see the massive ventilation shafts hewn into the crater's base, and he watched for a moment as the massive columns of steam and hot gas erupted violently from the vents into the sky above them.

"It would indeed, Commander," Obi-Wan said, as he watched the four sentry droids carefully for a long moment. "There's no doubt about it," he said, as Cody turned his gaze toward the crater below them. "There's definitely a droid factory down there somewhere."

"Remind me to give Anakin another pat on the back when I see him," Obi-Wan said with a sly smile, as he studied the sentries carefully. He swung the binoculars toward the edge of the crater, just behind the sentry droids and the entrance to the tunnel, and studied the sloping inner surface of the crater for a long moment.

"Only four sentries, as far as I can see," Obi-Wan said, as he studied the path down from the crater's rim directly above the tunnel. "They obviously aren't very worried about anyone coming to find them," he said thoughtfully, as he looked back at the four droids that stood motionless near the tunnel's entrance.

"I need to get in there, as quietly as possible, Commander," Obi-Wan said, as he handed the binoculars back to Cody as he turned and looked at him. "I'll take the long range transmitter with me," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "Keep the detachments down on the outer rim of the crater, and wait here until I signal you."

"Yes, sir," Commander Cody said with a nod, as he turned and picked up the small case beside him and handed it to Obi-Wan.

"I'll contact you just as soon as I can," Obi-Wan said, as he placed the strap on his shoulder and tucked the case under his arm. "Keep a low profile, and don't let those sentries see you."

"Be careful, sir," Commander Cody said with a nod, and he turned and watched as Obi-Wan took a few steps down the outside of the crater, and started to make his way along the crater's outer rim, trudging as quickly as he could through the soft powdery surface.

* * *

It took Obi-Wan nearly forty five minutes to traverse the distance to the back side of the massive crater's rim and make his descent down into it; he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, as he made his way down the steep, rocky inner surface, crouching behind a large boulder that jutted from the ground about a hundred meters from the tunnel's entrance.

He peered out from behind the boulder, and looked toward the edge of the tunnel's opening ahead of him. If he could keep from alerting the sentries, he though to himself, he should be able to catch them by surprise from above, and hopefully dispatch them, before they had a chance to alert anyone below the surface. He took the long-range transmitter from his shoulder, wrapping the strap securely around his left hand, as he reached down and drew his saber with his right. He stood up and started across the rocky surface toward the tunnel's entrance, moving as quickly and silently as the Force would allow him to.

He stopped, about five meters from the edge of the top of the tunnel's arch, and gently laid the transmitter on the ground; he took a few steps, as silently as possible, toward the rocky edge in front of him, and stopped just a few meters from the edge. He looked down at the rocky ground below him; it appeared to be about six or seven meters down to the surface, and he visualized the location of the four sentries as he stood silently for a long moment.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and inhaled deeply several times, allowing the Force to flow through him; he stood silently for a moment, and then, opening his eyes and reaching deeply into the Force, he leapt toward the edge and cartwheeled head over heals down toward the ground below him.

Obi-Wan's brilliant green saber blade blazed forth the instant that his boots touched the ground; he spun around quickly, bringing his blade up and into the first of the two sentry droids that stood to the left side of the arch. He spun on his heals, bringing his blade back around in a smooth, fluid motion, and watched as it sliced neatly through the second droid's mid section, sending it clattering the hard stone ground.

He turned quickly, just in time to see the other two droids level their weapons at him and begin to fire; he whirled his blade around, first left, then right, as he caught the first two laser blasts and deflected them back to the droids, catching both of them neatly between their electronic eyes. He brought his blade up, holding it tightly in front of him, its brilliant blade glowing and humming loudly, as he watched the two droids fall stiffly to the ground.

He looked around for a moment, watching the silent landscape around him for any trace of additional attackers; seeing none, he extinguished the blade of his weapon, and returned it quickly to his belt.

He turned back and looked up toward the top of the tunnel's entrance; reaching into the Force again, he quickly leapt back up to the top of the stone archway, running quickly and retrieving the small long-range transmitter that he had left there. He turned and ran back to the edge as he placed the transmitter on his shoulder and, holding it tightly to his side, he jumped back down to the ground below him.

Obi-Wan turned and looked up toward the lip of the crater where Commander Cody watched him silently, and he raised his hand and waved to him. He smiled, as he saw Cody stand up for a brief moment and wave back to him, and then crouch back down behind the crater's rim.

"Well," Obi-Wan said quietly to himself, as he started toward the tunnel's entrance, "You've made it this far. Let's hope the rest goes just as easily."

Commander Cody watched intently though the lenses of his long-range binoculars, as he watched Obi-Wan walk quickly toward the tunnel's entrance and then, pausing for just a moment, disappear into the darkness.

He turned around and took the small comlink from his belt, checking it one more time to ensure that it was on the correct frequency. He returned it to his belt, and then turned his attention toward his armor; he laid the binoculars down on the ground beside him, and gently brushed the fine, red dust from the bright white armor on his sleeve. His gloved fingers left long white tracks behind them, as the fine dust adhered in small clumps to his fingertips. He rubbed his fingertips together gently for a moment, watching as the dust dropped slowly the ground, and then picked up his binoculars that lay beside him. He raised them to his helmet again and watched in silence, as he waited patiently for Obi-Wan to contact him.

* * *

Obi-Wan peered out from behind the massive stone support column, and looked down into the large, circular command center below him. He watched, as the droids that sat at the control stations that ringed the outer rim of the chamber worked in silence, watching the myriad of displays and control readouts that circled the room.

He had wound his way through the long, winding tunnel for what seemed like an eternity; he had followed the sounds of the machinery in the factory to this large room where he now found himself, and with a little help from the Force, he had managed to gain access to a ledge that overlooked the command center and steel himself behind one of the large support pillars that arched up and over the center the roughly hewn chamber.

He looked out through the windows that looked out over the massive operation beyond them; he could see the enormous conveyors and machinery, very much like the factory that he and Anakin had encountered on Geonosis, and he could see the hundreds of battle droids that moved slowly along them in various stages of completion.

There was no longer any doubt, Obi-Wan thought to himself, that what the Council suspected was correct; the Separatists were definitely in the process of replenishing their forces. He needed to find General Grievous, and obtain whatever proof he could find, as quickly as he possibly could, and then destroy this operation before these new droids could be placed into service.

_If Grievous is here, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, _he's most likely going to make it into this command center sooner or later. _He leaned back silently into the shadows as he folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath._Sooner would be better, _he mused, shaking his head, as he watched the droids below him move quietly around the room, watching the operation that ran below them.

Obi-Wan watched the droids silently for nearly ten minutes, and he had begun to settle himself into a more comfortable position to prepare for a rather long wait, when he suddenly heard several long tones echo through the chamber below him. He looked down, curiously, and watched as one of the droids near the far wall turned and addressed the one that stood silently in front of the large windows looking out over the manufacturing facility.

"Sir," the droid's electronic, monotone voice said, as the droid near the window turned to face him, "We are receiving an urgent transmission for the General."

"Summon him to the command center at once," the droid responded with a nod, as he turned and looked back out at the operation below him.

_Obi-Wan Kenobi, how lucky can you get? _he thought to himself, as he leaned back into the shadows, watching as the droid pressed a button on the communications console beside him. "General Grievous," the droid's voice called over the loudspeaker, "please report to the command center at once."

Obi-Wan watched silently for a long moment, as he waited and watched the long tunnels that converged near the large command center below him. Suddenly, he heard the familiar, heavy footsteps, the same ones that he had heard onboard the _Invisible Hand _only a day earlier. He leaned forward from the shadows, just a bit, and watched as the familiar, dark grey cloak emerged from the shadows of the tunnel at the far end of the chamber and headed toward the command center.

Obi-Wan watched him as he walked; he was a fearsome looking man, or cyborg, or whatever he was. He stood a full meter taller than Obi-Wan, and his powerful cybernetic legs echoed off the stone walls of the chamber as he walked. His faceless gray mask covered his alien face, just as his long, grey cloak covered his body, a frightening mixture of flesh and machine.

Obi-Wan leaned back into the shadows, as he watched Grievous enter the command center and walk toward the droid that stood near the window as it turned to face him. "What is it, Commander?" Grievous asked, his deep, muffled voice asked, as he stopped just short of the droid and placed his long, slender cybernetic fingers on his waist. Obi-Wan watched, as the General's cloak opened in front of him, and he watched with a growing sense of contempt as he watched the sabers that swung in the dim, red light at his waist.

Obi-Wan looked at them closely for a moment; he immediately recognized the unique, translucent handle of the one that hung near the General's right hand, and he began to sense a wave of anger growing inside of him.

He remembered when the young Jedi had shown it to him, only a month ago, just outside of the Council's chambers. Young Ardmak had been very proud of it, the very first saber he had created, and he remembered how proud Master Tiin had looked when he had watched him congratulate young Ardmak on his accomplishment.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment; _not now, not here, _he thought to himself, as he struggled to stem the anger that he felt welling up inside of him. _Rest assured, though, General, _he thought, as he narrowed his eyes and watched the massive cyborg intently, _I'll relieve you of that saber soon enough._

"We're receiving an urgent transmission, General," the droid's monotone voice exclaimed, gesturing toward the communications console at the far side of the command center. "Master Sidious wishes to speak with you immediately."

_Just what I've been waiting for, _Obi-Wan thought, as he listened intently to the conversation taking place in the chamber below him. He reached down beneath his tunic to his belt, and removed the small image/audio recorder carefully. He switched it on, and looked down at it as the small device powered itself up, the green indicator light between the two eyepieces beginning to flash softly in the darkness.

Obi-Wan lifted the small device to his face, and peered through it, adjusting the focus and zoom until he could see the general clearly through the small lenses. He pressed the small button near his right index finger, and sat silently as the device began to record the conversation below him, the small red record indicator flashing in the upper corner of the eyepiece as he watched the General intently.

"Relay the transmission to the holographic imager," General Grievous said, as he turned and walked to the small round table near the center of the room. He extended his long, cybernetic arm toward the console and, pressing a button on the table, he took a step back as the lights in the command center dimmed, and the blue-green holographic image suddenly appeared over the emitters in the center of the small table.

Obi-Wan turned his imaging recorder toward the holographic image above the table as it appeared; he quickly adjusted the focus and zoom, trying to bring the image in as clearly as he possibly could.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" General Grievous said, bowing deeply, as the image appeared on the table in front of him.

Obi-Wan looked at the image on the projector through his imaging device; it was clear, and he was recording it perfectly, but the General was standing directly across from him, and all he could see was the back of a thick black hood.

_Blast it, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, as he listened to the conversation unfold below him. _If he'd only turn around this way, just once, _he thought, as the vaguely familiar voice echoed through the dark chamber.

_"How is the replenishment of our droid forces proceeding, General?"_ Darth Sidious asked, as General Grievous stood back up as his dark master addressed him.

"On schedule, my Master," Grievous replied, his voice deep and muffled underneath his faceless grey mask. "We are producing four thousand units per hour," he said, "well above our forecast production."

_Four thousand an hour, _Obi-Wan though, his mouth dropping open in amazement as he peered through the recorder. _At that rate, they'll be able to completely recoup their losses by the end of the week, _he though. He had to get the information they needed, and quickly, so that they could bring this operation to a swift and unceremonious end.

_"Excellent,"_ Darth Sidious said, as he nodded toward the General as he stood before him. "_We should be ready well ahead of schedule, then."_

"Yes, my lord," Grievous said, nodding his faceless head toward his master.

_"Very well,"_ Darth Sidious said. "_The first stage of our attack will begin shortly,"_ he said. "_Have the completed droids sent to the transports and await my command to dispatch them to the designated systems. I am transmitting the coordinates for each system to you now,"_ Sidious said. "_Are you ready to receive them?"_

General Greivous turned and gestured to the droid that sat at the station directly in front of Obi-Wan. "Prepare to receive Master Sidious' transmission," he said, his cold voice echoing through the chamber, "and transfer it to a datapad as soon as you have confirmed successful reception of the signal."

"Yes, General," the droid replied obediently, as he went to work at the station in front of him.

Obi-Wan turned his recording device toward the thick, dark hood that still faced away from him above the table. _Come on, _he thought to himself, anxiously, _just something, anything, to confirm who you are, _he thought. _A name, a place, anything._

_"I will signal you as soon as the operation begins,"_ Sidious said, as the General listened to him intently. "_We need to eliminate as many of the Jedi in the first wave of attacks as possible."_

Obi-Wan felt his heart stop in his chest as Sidious' words struck him like a bolt of lightning. _Eliminate the Jedi,_ he thought to himself; _what in the name of the Force is he planning to do?_

_"Your task remains the same,"_ Sidious said, as General Grievous listened intently to his master. "_You are to eliminate as many of the Jedi that survive the initial attack on the outlying systems as possible. Lord Vader and I will deal with the ones that remain here, on Coruscant."_

"Understood, my Master," General Grievous replied, nodding his faceless grey head again.

Obi-Wan couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he felt his hands beginning to tremble as he held the recording device tightly in his hands, recording every word of the unfathomable conversation taking place below him.

_It's not possible, _Obi-Wan thought to himself; _he's insane, there's no way he could do this, no way at all. _Even in his worst nightmares, he could never have imagined the scope of the Dark Lord's plans; it was apparent to him, now, that Sidious' plans went far beyond just removing the Jedi from the affairs of the Republic. He planned to eliminate them, all of them, entirely – from existence.

"General," the droid at the console said, turning in his chair to face Grievous as he stood at the table, "we have received and confirmed Master Sidious' transmission."

"Excellent," General Grievous said, as he turned and walked toward the droid's station, directly in front of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan looked up, for a split second, to the imaging camera that hung from directly in the center of the room above the General; _yes, _he thought, as he saw the camera begin to follow the massive cyborg as he walked across the room, directly toward Obi-Wan. Quickly, he looked back through his imaging device and zoomed in, as tightly as he could, on Sidious' image. _If he'll just turn around and follow him, _Obi-Wan said, as he watched the dark hood turn slightly, as the blue-green image flickered several times. _Please, please, just turn around and follow him._

Obi-Wan watched as General Grievous took the datapad from the droids hand and looked at it for a moment, and then turned and faced the hooded image before him. "We have confirmed your transmission, Master Sidious," General Grievous said, as he looked at the datapad again, but didn't move. "I will send the droids to your coordinates on your command, my lord," he said, as he lowered the pad slowly in front of him.

Obi-Wan felt his heart begin to beat harder in his chest, as the image of Darth Sidious began to turn slowly toward him. He zoomed in as closely as he could, as he watched Sidious' face begin to come into view, as he turned slowly to face his dark, evil servant.

He had known that Anakin was right; indeed, he hadn't doubted his young friend for a moment, ever since Anakin had revealed to him what he believed in the medlab the day before. Yet now, as he gazed at the face that looked back at him through his imaging recorder, he felt a cold, icy chill run through his body, as he saw the two glowing yellow eyes that stared out from under that dark hood as he finally faced him, full on.

_"Very well,"_ Chancellor Palpatine said, his glowing eyes and familiar face staring back at Obi-Wan through the imaging recorder. "_I will be meeting with the Senate shortly. Prepare your troops, and yourself. I will contact you as soon as the attack has begun."_

"Yes, my Master," General Grievous replied, bowing reverently, as he watched Darth Sidious' image flicker, and then fade away.

Obi-Wan leaned back into the shadows silently, his heart still racing in his chest, as he pressed the button on the side of his imaging recorder with a trembling finger. His hands trembled, more than slightly, as he switched the small device off and, pressing a button on the front edge of the recorder, ejected the small data disk from the device and held it, almost reverently, in his trembling hand.

It was here, all of it; everything that the Council needed to prove Palpatine's dark identity, along with a plan more evil than anything any of them could ever have imagined. No matter what else happened, he thought to himself, as he placed the small disk securely in his belt, he had to get this information back to the Council, immediately.

He folded the recorder quietly, and then returned it to his belt, and then sat quietly for a moment, as he reached into the Force and tried to calm himself. His heart was still racing, and he reached down and picked up the small long-range transmitter and placed it, silently, back on his shoulder. He looked out at the command center for another moment, and watched as General Grievous walked toward the window, studying the datapad in his hand, as he and the droid commander with him looked out over the massive operation below them.

As quietly as he could, Obi-Wan stood up and walked through the shadows along the support structure, toward the entrance through which he had entered the chamber. He reached into the Force again and, as quietly as he could, he jumped down to the stone floor below him, and drew himself back in the shadows, standing silently for a moment.

He leaned forward, looking back down the hallway toward the command center; Grievous and his commander still looked out over the operation through the window, their backs to him, and, concealing himself in the shadows as best he could, Obi-Wan made his way back down the long corridor. He had seen a small room as he made his way down into the factory, just below the surface. He should be able to get a signal to Anakin and Master Yoda, if he could only get back to that room. It was his best, and quickest, chance of getting this information back to the Council as soon as possible; he couldn't risk waiting till he was back at his ship.

He was certain of one thing, as he made his way silently through the tunnel toward the surface; they were running out of time.

* * *

Yoda looked up quietly from the datapad in his hand, and looked out of the ship's window, as the stars continued to streak by them. They were just a few hours from Kamino now; he and Anakin had talked for quite some time, as Yoda had listened with keen interest as Anakin had shared the details of the past four years with him. It had been a long time indeed, since he and the young Jedi Knight who sat across from him had been able to sit quietly and share with one another; Yoda turned and looked at Anakin thoughtfully, as he slept quietly on the bench across from him. Anakin dozed soundly on the bench, leaning back against the corner near the window, his head resting on his shoulder and his arms folded across his chest.

Yoda looked at him for a long moment; even he had been amazed at how strongly the Force was with Anakin now. Anakin possessed a strength, a peace and oneness with the Force that few Jedi ever attained. Yoda smiled, as he looked back down at his datapad; even he would never have believed that the angry, ambitious young boy that he had known so may years ago would have found such peace and contentment in so simple a life.

Yoda looked up from his datapad again, as he heard the captain call to him. "Master Yoda?" the captain called, as Yoda stood up from his seat and walked quietly toward the cockpit, his small cane held tightly in his hand.

"Yes, Captain Netaka?" Yoda said, as he stood beside their pilot.

"We're receiving an incoming transmission," Netaka said, turning to look up at the Jedi Master who stood beside him. "It's coming in on a coded frequency, and it says it's urgent."

"Who is this transmission from, Captain?" Yoda asked, looking at the flashing indicator on the console curiously.

"Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," Captain Netaka said, as he reached over and adjusted the signal antenna on their ship to adjust for the signal's incoming direction.

"Relay the signal to the com station in the rear of the ship, Captain," Yoda said, his expression growing concerned.

"Yes, sir," Captain Netaka said with a nod, as Yoda turned and walked back toward the bench where Anakin slept.

"Anakin," Yoda said, reaching out with his cane and tapping him gently on the leg, "wake up, you must," he said, as Anakin opened his eyes and look sleepily around the cabin.

"What's wrong, Master?" Anakin said, as he took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, sleepily.

"Receiving a transmission from Obi-Wan, we are," Yoda said, as Anakin sat up and looked at him, taking another deep breath as he tried to wake himself. "Urgent, Obi-Wan says that it is."

"Maybe he's found something on Utapau," Anakin said, as he watched Yoda walk to the small communications console at the table between them. Yoda reached into his robe, taking the small signal encrypter from his pocket, and he placed it into the slot on the receiver and pressed the button to power up the transmitter.

Anakin leaned forward, running his hand through his hair quickly, as Yoda took a seat beside him, just as the ship's lighting dimmed and Obi-Wan's image flashed several times, and then appeared, flickering and flashing steadily, on the console in front of them.

"_Master Yoda, Anakin,"_ Obi-Wan said quietly, a sense of deep concern in his voice. "_Thank the Force I was able to reach you."_

_"I have urgent news for you, and the Council,"_ Obi-Wan said, as his image flickered again. "_I'm sorry for the poor quality of this transmission, but I'm currently fairly deep underground, and I'm unable to send a stronger signal."_

_"I need you both to relay this transmission, now, back to the Council,"_ Obi-Wan said, as Anakin and Yoda looked at each other thoughtfully; they could both sense the urgency of Obi-Wan's transmission.

"Have you found something, Master?" Anakin asked, as he turned a deeply concerned face back to Obi-Wan.

_"To put it mildly, Anakin,"_ Obi-Wan said quietly. _"I don't want to risk transmitting this twice,"_ he said, as his signal flickered again. "_It's urgent that you get the Council online now,"_ he said, as Anakin turned his attention to the transmitter controls. "_I may not have a lot of time, Anakin."_

"Understood, Master," Anakin said, and Yoda watched him as the young Jedi's fingers flew on the control pad, as he activated the ship's relay transmitter and sent the beacon signal back to the Temple. "I'm signaling them now. I should have them online in just a few moments."

_"Very good,"_ Obi-Wan said quietly. "_Let me know as soon as you have them."_

Yoda sat quietly at Anakin's side, as Anakin watched the control panel closely. He saw the bright yellow indicator at the side of the display begin to flash, slowly, as Anakin reached over and engaged the signal lock.

"I've got them, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, looking back up at Obi-Wan's flickering image. "Master Windu and the other Council members are receiving your transmission now," he said. "Go ahead."

_"Good work, Anakin,"_ Obi-Wan said with a sigh of relief, as his signal flashed again.

* * *

Mace Windu and the other members of the Council watched the flickering image of Obi-Wan as it flashed on the large holographic display in the center of the Council chambers.

"_Masters,"_ Obi-Wan said, as his signal continued to flash intermittently, "_I've located General Grievous on Utapau,"_ he said. " _The General is currently overseeing the operation of a massive droid factory here below the planet's surface."_

"_They're in the process of building replacements for their droid army,"_ Obi-Wan continued. "_They are currently producing more than four thousand units per hour,_" he said, as Mace exchanged glances with Ki-Adi Mundi. "_At this rate, they should be able to totally replenish their army in just a few days."_

_"I've also been able to gather critical information on General Grievous' involvement in the murder of the six Jedi in recent weeks,_" Obi-Wan said, as the Council listened intently. "_I was able to identify the lightsaber of Master Tiin's apprentice on the General's weapon belt,"_ he said. "_I was able to record images of it, that I'm sending to you now, along with some additional, very disturbing information."_

Mace turned to Ki-Adi, as the Jedi master beside him reached over to the control station beside him and activated the main recorder, watching as the data stream fed into the system, as Obi-Wan continued.

"Were you able to get any proof of Palpatine's involvement, Obi-Wan?" Mace asked, as he looked up at Obi-Wan's flickering image in front of him.

"_Yes, Master,"_ Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. _"It's all there in the recording that I've sent you._" He paused for a moment, and took a deep breath. "_You'll have to see it for yourself to believe it, Master, but I can tell you quickly what it is that I've discovered."_

* * *

"General Grievous," the droid at the communications console called, as he turned to face the massive cyborg as he stood near the window of the command center.

"What is it?" Grievous asked, as he turned to face the droid, looking up from the datapad in his cybernetic fingers.

"We are detecting an unauthorized transmission from somewhere in the complex," he said, as he gestured toward the console in front of him.

"A transmission?" Grievous said, as he walked quickly across the command center and looked at the display in front of the droid.

"Yes, General," the droid replied, his monotone voice echoing off the walls of the chamber. "It appears to originate from somewhere below the surface."

"Are you able to decode it?" the General asked, as he studied the display with his yellow, catlike eyes.

"No, sir," the droid responded. "The signal appears to be encrypted with a hardware device on both ends of the transmission."

"A Jedi," Grievous said, his angry, cold voice echoing off the chamber walls, as he turned back to his clone commander quickly.

"Send a detachment of destroyers into the tunnels," Greivous said, his voice irritated and angry. "Have them search every square centimeter of the tunnels near the transmissions source, until they find him," Grievous said, his yellow eyes flashing angrily in the dim light. "And bring him directly to me."

* * *

Anakin and Yoda listened intently as Obi-Wan continued. "_Palpatine is indeed Darth Sidious, Master,"_ Obi-Wan said. "_I was able to get clear images of him as he spoke with General Grievous just a short time ago. You should have all the evidence you need on the recording I'm sending you."_

_"Sidious is planning to launch some kind of attack,"_ Obi-Wan said, as his image flickered again, "_directly against the Jedi."_

Anakin and Yoda sat in silence as they listened to Obi-Wan's transmission. "T_he attack is apparently imminent, Masters,"_ Obi-Wan said. "_Sidious told Grievous that they needed to kill as many Jedi as they can in the initial attack,"_ he said. "_The General appears to responsible for killing any Jedi that survive the initial attack on the outlying systems, while Sidious said that he and someone called Lord Vader would deal with those that remained on Coruscant."_

"_I can only assume that this Lord Vader might be the attacker that Anakin and Master Yoda are looking for,"_ Obi-Wan said. Anakin took a deep breath, as he turned and looked back at Yoda thoughtfully.

* * *

Mace Windu and the other Council members sat in complete silence, as they listened to Obi-Wan's transmission.

"_Sidious said he's meeting with the Senate shortly,"_ Obi-Wan said. "_It's imperative that we intercept him before he does. It's apparent that he no longer just intends to eliminate us from the Republic's affairs, Masters,"_ Obi-Wan said, taking a long deep breath. "_He plans to eliminate us entirely."_

Mace turned and looked at Master Mundi, a deeply concerned expression on his face. "Do you have the recording from Obi-Wan?"

"We do," Ki-Adi said, turning his white bearded face toward Mace and nodding.

Mace looked back at Obi-Wan as he addressed him. "_Advance the time index to seven point three three,"_ Obi-Wan said, "_and play from that point."_

* * *

Anakin tapped the display beside him quickly, advancing the image to the time index Obi-Wan had indicated, and then reach over and press the play button. They both watched, as the image of General Grievous and Darth Sidious appeared on the display in front of them.

"_I will signal you as soon as the operation begins," _they heard Sidious say. _"We need to eliminate as many of the Jedi in the first wave of attacks as possible_."

Anakin and Yoda looked at each other in disbelief as they listened to the unbelievable transmission. _"Your task remains the same,"_ they heard Sidious say, as they looked at the image on the display in front of them. _"You are to eliminate as many of the Jedi that survive the initial attack on the outlying systems as possible. Lord Vader and I will deal with the ones that remain here, on Coruscant."_

They both looked up at Obi-Wan's transmission as he spoke again. "_Advance the time index to eight point four six, now,_ "Obi-Wan said, as his signal flashed again. "_And hold the image."_

* * *

Mace Windu stood up from his seat, as Ki-Adi dialed the index in and transferred the image to the display in the center of the room. The Council sat in stunned silence, as they looked at Chancellor Palpatine's face underneath the thick, dark hood, his unfeeling, yellow eyes staring coldly out at them.

Mace took a long, deep breath, as his expression grew deeply angry. "It would seem," he said, his voice trembling as he spoke, "that Anakin's suspicions were indeed correct."

_"Yes, Master,"_ Obi-Wan sighed. "_In a way we never imagined."_

"Obi-Wan," Mace Windu said, as he looked up at the flickering image in front of him. "Withdraw as quickly as you can," he said. "Have the two battalions with you launch an attack on that complex. We need to destroy it, as quickly as possible. With any luck," Mace said, we'll be able to destroy General Grievous in the process."

_"Understood, Master,"_ Obi-Wan said. "_I'll make my way back to the surface now. I should be able to…"_

* * *

Anakin and Yoda looked at each other, as Obi-Wan's signal suddenly went dead and faded from view. They turned their eyes back toward the display as it flashed again, and Mace Windu's image appeared in front of them.

"_Anakin,"_ Mace said, "_do you still have Obi-Wan's signal?"_

"No, Master," Anakin said, as he looked down at the display, his face deeply concerned. "We lost him," he said, looking back up at Mace's image. "It just went dead."

Mace nodded his head, slowly. "_We must trust that Obi-Wan will be able to handle the situation on Utapau,"_ he said, and he directed his attention to Yoda. _"Master Yoda,"_ Mace said, "_I believe it is clear now, from Sidious' transmission, that Dooku's killer is here, now, on Coruscant."_

"I would agree," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly. "Imperative it is, that we confront Sidious as soon as possible, before he has time to meet with the Senate. Defenseless, the Senate would be," Yoda said, turning his concerned face back up toward Mace Windu, "if he were to decide to reveal himself, and take action against the Senate."

_"Agreed,"_ Mace Windu said, nodding his head. "_Reverse your course, and head back to Coruscant,"_ Mace said, as Anakin and Yoda listened to him intently. "_We will go to the Senate building and confront the Chancellor now, and ask him and his apprentice to surrender to us peacefully."_

Mace looked at Yoda thoughtfully for a long moment. "_Perhaps we can convince him to end this conflict without further bloodshed if we confront him now. We will contact you as soon as we have the situation under control,"_ Mace said, nodding his head. "_Contact me if you hear anything further from Obi-Wan, and we will do the same."_

"Go carefully," Yoda said, as he looked up at Mace with a deeply troubled countenance. "Powerful, Sidious is," he said, somberly. "Rely on the Force, you must, when you confront him."

_"Understood,"_ Mace said, nodding his head. "_We will look for you soon at the Temple. Until then, may the Force be with you both."_

"May the Force be with all of us," Yoda said, and he watched Mace Windu's image flicker and disappear.

Anakin stood up and walked quickly to the cockpit in front of the ship. "Captain," he said, as the pilot turned and looked up at him.

"Yes, sir?" Captain Nataka said, looking up at Anakin from his seat at the controls.

"Turn us around," Anakin said, looking out of the ship's front window, an angry expression on his young face. "Take us back to Coruscant, maximum possible speed."

"Understood, sir," Captain Nataka said, and he reached down and pulled the ship back out of hyperspace, as he fed the new coordinates in the nav computer.

Anakin turned and walked slowly back to the passenger's compartment, and sat down quietly across from Yoda. He looked at the Jedi Master, as he sat quietly, his hands folded in his lap, as he looked down silently at the floor below him.

"I'm sure we can still stop him, Master," Anakin said, as Yoda looked up at him with a deeply troubled expression.

Yoda said nothing; he took a long, deep breath, and he and Anakin both turned and looked out of the ship's window beside them, as the stars suddenly streaked past them again, as their ship flashed and disappeared into hyperspace.

It was just a matter of whether or not the speed of light could get them back to Coruscant in time to stop a disaster.


	8. The Day the Republic Died, Part 2

**Chapter 8: The Day the Republic Died, Part 2**

The blast from the droid's laser rifle struck the small transmitter, igniting its fuel cell in a brilliant flash, temporarily blinding him; the concussion of the small, yet powerful explosion sent Obi-Wan flying backwards into the hard stone wall behind him, as the group of battle droids suddenly charged into the small, dark corner of the tunnel where he had concealed himself and opened fire.

He grimaced as he struck the wall hard behind him, and then fell to the hard stone floor in a blur of confusion and pain. Obi-Wan blinked his eyes as he struggled to regain his bearings; he reached, as quickly as he could, for his weapon at his side as the droids charged into the chamber toward him.

Obi-Wan had been so obsessed with completing his transmission to the Council that he hadn't heard them approaching; _stupid, stupid, stupid, _he chastised himself, as he rolled onto his back on the cold, hard floor, scrambling for his weapon in the sudden darkness. _A third year padawan could have heard them coming._

He still couldn't see; he might as well have looked into a fusing arc, such was the brilliance of the fuel cell explosion when the transmitter went up. In an instant, he closed his eyes and reached deeply into the Force, allowing it to take control of his actions as he powered up his weapon and swung it up in front of him, deflecting the first laser blast that surged toward him.

He struggled to get to his feet, blinking his eyes hard, several times, as he looked back down the tunnel toward the group of droids that ran toward him. Through his blurry, but slowly returning vision, he saw the first two droids open fire on him again, as he swung his blade up in front of him.

He caught the first blast, sending the brilliant orange burst of energy back toward the group of droids, striking the one to his right squarely in the chest. He swung his weapon hard to his right, as fast as he could, as he attempted to catch the next one that surged toward him in the dark corridor.

He cried out loudly as he felt the surge of heat as the blast caught the hilt of his weapon just below the blade emitter; he recoiled, instinctively, as the blade of his weapon suddenly flashed brightly as the force of the blast stripped it from his hand. As he turned and struggled to catch it, he lost his footing and stumbled backwards, falling to the hard ground again as his weapon clattered to the stone floor a short distance from him.

Obi-Wan looked up, as he saw the blurry group of droids surround him. "Don't move, Jedi," he heard the monotone, metallic voice say, as he saw the one nearest him lower his weapon directly at him. He rolled, slowly, onto his back, raising his hands submissively in front of him, as he watched the other droids close in on him, and then grimaced as the two closest to him grabbed him by the arms and jerked him, very strongly and impolitely, to his feet.

* * *

"It's no use, Master," Anakin said, shaking his head as he continued to scan for Obi-Wan's tracking signal. He looked up at Yoda, who was seated on the bench across from him. "I can't locate him anywhere on the planet," he said, his expression deeply worried and concerned. "He must still be underground."

Yoda nodded his head, slowly. "If captured, he was," the Jedi master said thoughtfully, "Logical, that would be."

Anakin took a deep breath, nodding his head, and then turned his worried face to the ship's window and watched the stars streak by for a long moment.

"Any response, has there been," Yoda asked, "to your request to the Council for his clone battalion's beacon frequency?"

"No," Anakin sighed, shaking his head slowly. "I can't get anyone at the Council, either," he said, and then looked back at Yoda. "They must have all gone to confront Chancellor Palpatine."

Anakin and Yoda both turned and looked back out the window for a long moment. Anakin sat thoughtfully for a moment, and then he turned his eyes back toward Yoda.

"If we can't get in touch with Obi-Wan or the Council," Anakin said, turning his attention back to the console in front of him, "maybe we can reach Arfour instead."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head thoughtfully at Anakin's suggestion. "Locate his droid, you may be able too. Still in his ship, he should be, yes?"

"He should be, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head. "If we can get in touch with Arfour," he said, quickly switching the transmitter over and searching for the little droid's beacon frequency, "we can let him know that Obi-Wan's in trouble," he said, and then looked back up to Yoda as he pressed the search button and engaged the transmitter.

"With any luck," Anakin said, shrugging his shoulders, "Arfour can relay the message to the clone battalion, and we can let them know what's happening."

Yoda nodded his head and sighed deeply. "Trust to luck, I usually do not," he said, looking at Anakin thoughtfully. "But a welcome thing it would be, in light of what has happened."

Anakin looked at Yoda's deeply concerned face for a moment, and then turned his attention back to the transmitter, as he watched the ship's computer scan for the little droid's beacon.

* * *

Mace Windu stood silently in the lift, watching the city skyline below them through the large ornate windows as they made their way up the outside of the Republic Senate building. He squeezed the handrail in front of him tightly, as he watched the speeders weave in and out of the buildings below them as he and the other Council members made their way up the massive building toward Chancellor Palpatine's offices at the top of the building.

"How could we not have known?" Mace asked, turning his troubled face to Ki-Adi Mundi, who stood silently beside him.

"How could we not have known about this?" Mace asked again, as Ki-Adi turned his face toward his companion and regarded him as he spoke. "We have worked alongside him for years," Mace continued. "We have worked with him and met with him on countless occasions," he said. "How could we not have foreseen this?"

"The Book of the Whills speaks extensively of the elusiveness of the Dark Side, and its influences," Ki-Adi said quietly, as the other Jedi in the lift turned and listened as he spoke.

"Indeed," Plo Kloon replied, nodding his large, bearded head. "When the Sith first appeared over a millennia ago," he said, "even the founders of the Order were taken by surprise. It is not unfathomable," Plo said, shaking his head as his companions listened to him quietly, "that we were unable to sense these developments."

"I agree," Shaak Ti said, nodding her head slowly. "Even Master Yoda was unable to sense these dark tidings," she said, turning her attention toward Mace Windu as he stood silently at the window. "None of us foresaw any of this."

"Anakin did," Mace said, turning around slowly and facing his companions. "He sensed it four years ago," he said, as the Council members looked at each other in silence. "Though he may not have known that the Chancellor was, in fact, Sidious at that time," Mace said, "he sensed that something was wrong." Mace stood quietly for a moment.

"We should have been able to do the same," he said, thoughtfully. "We have allowed the Dark Side to cloud our vision," he said, and he turned and placed his hands on the handrail again, looking out thoughtfully over the city below them.

"Perhaps," Mace said, his face showing a sense of deep regret, "the Chancellor's assertions are not entirely false," he said. "Perhaps we have failed the Republic," he sighed.

The Council members stood in silence for a moment, and then Ki-Adi finally spoke. "We must hope," Ki-Adi said, as Mace turned his deeply worried expression toward him, "that we are not too late to stop him, and make amends for that failure."

Mace nodded his head slowly, and they all turned and looked toward the lift's large, ornate doors as they felt it slow, and then stop as they reached the Chancellor's main office level.

* * *

The four hooded, red-clad Republic guards turned and watched intently as the five members of the Jedi Council stepped off the lift and into the Chancellor's outer welcome chamber, their long electrified static pikes held tightly in their gloved hands.

"May I help you?" Needa, the Chancellor's Senate-appointed assistant asked, as she looked up from her desk with a puzzled, surprised expression.

"Yes, Needa," Mace said, as he and the others approached her desk. "It is extremely urgent that we speak with Chancellor Palpatine," he said, smiling politely and folding his hands in front of his robe.

"I'm sorry, Master Windu," Needa said, as she shook her head and smiled apologetically, her long, dark green hair shaking gently as she did so. "But I'm afraid the Chancellor has specifically requested that he not be disturbed this afternoon," she said. "I'm terribly sorry," Needa said, "but I'm afraid you'll have to come back tomorrow."

Mace had always been fond of the young Bothan intern who sat before him; she had always been more than helpful to him, and he had always found her pure, friendly tremor in the Force to be a delight. He couldn't allow her to remain here, not now.

"Needa," Mace said quietly, as his expression grew more serious, and he waved his hand gently in front of her, "Would it be possible for us to wait until the Chancellor has a moment to speak with us?"

"If you'd like to wait a few moments," Needa said quietly, as a puzzled, somewhat befuddled look spread over her lovely young face, "perhaps the Chancellor could find a moment to speak with you."

"Thank you, Needa," Mace nodded, as he waved his hand again, slowly. "I believe that we are expecting several members from the Archives to join us," he said. "Would you mind going down to the Senate Rotunda and waiting for them? They should be there in a few moments. We can wait here until you return."

"Why don't I go down to the Rotunda and wait for your guests?" Needa said, standing up slowly and picking up her datapad that lay on the desk in front of her. "They should be here in a few moments," she said. "Would you mind waiting here until I return?" she asked, smiling at him pleasantly.

"That would be most convenient, Needa," Mace said with a smile and a nod, as he watched the young intern walk slowly toward the lift and enter it. He smiled back at her and nodded again as she pressed the button on the lift, and then smiled as the doors closed slowly.

Mace and Ki-Adi exchanged glances for a moment, as they quickly eyed the four guards that stood, two at the sides of the room, and two near the door, watching them.

"Getting Needa out of harm's way was simple enough," Mace whispered quietly, as Ki-Adi nodded at him. "These guards, however," he said, "will most likely require a different kind of persuasion."

"I would suggest," Ki-Adi said quietly, nodding his head in agreement, "that the direct approach will likely serve us best."

Mace nodded, and then turned and looked at Shaak Ti, Plo Kloon, and Opo Rancisis; they all looked at each other for a moment, and then turned and followed Mace and Ki-Adi as they walked around the side of Needa's desk and made their way toward the tall, ornate doors of the hallway that led to the Chancellor's office.

The two guards closest to the door took a step forward as they approached, and then lowered and crossed their static pikes in front of the doorway. "I'm sorry, Masters," the guard to Mace's left said, his voice muffled by his long red helmet. "I'm afraid that you'll have to remain here."

Mace stopped and looked at the two guards intently as Ki-Adi turned and watched the two near the sides of the room approach them, slowly. "We have urgent business with the Chancellor," Mace said, his expression growing deeply serious. "I would ask you to step aside and let us enter."

"I'm sorry, Master Windu," the guard said, pressing the switch on the side of his long pike; Mace looked up at the tip of it, and watched as the brilliant blue arc surged across it. "But I'm afraid that you must leave these premises," he said, as the other guards energized their own pikes. "Now."

Mace turned and looked at Ki-Adi for a moment, and the group of Jedi Masters exchanged glances as the guards watched them closely. Then, suddenly, they all turned toward the four guards that surrounded them; Mace, Ki-Adi, Plo Kloon and Shaak Ti all extended their hands toward one of the guards, and their long, electrified pikes dropped to the floor as they all reached for their throats as the strong grip of the Force closed around their necks.

Opo Rancisis watched as the four Jedi Masters reached deeply into the Force, lifting the four guards high off the floor, clutching at their throats and gasping for air; they held them there for a moment, until their violent thrashing began to subside as they each slipped slowly into air-starved unconsciousness. As the four guards went limp, they released their strong Force hold on them, allowing them to drop quietly to the floor.

Ki-Adi turned and looked at Mace as they all looked at the guards lying unconscious on the smooth, marble floor. "I would say," Ki-Adi said, nodding his head, "that our persuasion seems to have been effective."

"And relatively silent," Shaak Ti said, nodding her head at her companions.

"We must hurry," Mace said, pulling his cloak back to his side and exposing his lightsaber as he turned and looked at his companions. "It is likely that the Chancellor was able to sense our use of the Force."

They all stepped over the two fallen guards as they pushed open the large ornate doors to the hallway in front of them, and made their way as quietly and quickly as they could down the long hallway toward the closed doors of the Chancellor's office ahead of them.

* * *

Obi-Wan grimaced as the droids led him through the doorway to the command center, and then threw him down, hard, onto the cold stone floor. He looked up, as the tall, grey cloaked figure of General Grievous turned from the window where he stood and looked at him for a long moment, his catlike yellow eyes staring out at him from behind his faceless mask.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, General," Obi-Wan said, smugly, as he rubbed his arm gingerly as he lifted himself up onto his knees. He placed his hand on the floor and started to stand up as the General started to walk quickly toward him.

Obi-Wan looked up, just in time to see the General reach out and seize him tightly by the neck. He reached up, wrapping his hands tightly around the General's long, cold cybernetic arm, as he gasped for breath as he felt Grievous' long, powerful fingers wrap tightly around his neck.

"I'm sure... this is all... just a big... misunderstanding..." Obi-Wan gasped, as the General glared at him and pulled Obi-Wan close to his face. Obi-Wan winced, as he felt his boots leave the floor as Grievous lifted him into the air and held him there, looking at him intently.

General Grievous watched, as he turned Obi-Wan slowly in his hand, looking at his bearded face intently as he struggled to breath. "You," Grievous' dark, deep voice growled after a moment, as he tilted Obi-Wan's head slightly and pulled him closer to him.

"I would have thought you'd have perished on board that vessel when it went down, Jedi," Grievous said, watching as Obi-Wan pulled desperately at his long fingers, struggling for air as he held him tightly by the neck.

Obi-Wan felt his head starting to swim, as he struggled to gain another tiny breath of air, as the General squeezed his fingers even tighter. He looked up at Grievous' faceless gray mask, as he saw his sinister yellow eyes glaring at him angrily. _Not exactly the last thing I wanted to see before I died, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, as he closed his eyes and struggled for one more breath, as he felt the blackness closing in on him.

Obi-Wan felt the General's long, powerful fingers release him, suddenly, and he groaned with pain as Grievous threw him down hard onto the stone floor. He took a long, deep gasp of air, as he reached up and held his aching throat with his hand, trying to lift himself up on his elbow as he looked up and watched as the menacing cyborg turned and took a long powerful step away from him.

"You are alive for one reason, and one reason only," Grievous said, as he turned and looked back at the Jedi Knight lying on the floor in front of him.

"The recording disk in your transmitter was destroyed," General Grievous said, as he took a step back toward Obi-Wan. "I want to know what you told them," he said, as his menacing eyes glared at Obi-Wan hatefully. "Everything."

Obi-Wan looked up from the place where he lay on the floor, watching as the massive cyborg hovered over him, menacingly. "Tell me what I want to know," Grievous said, "And I give you my word that you will die quickly and painlessly," he said, and then gestured toward the sabers that hung around his belt. "Just as they did."

Obi-Wan rubbed his neck, taking another long deep breath of air, as he regarded the General with a look of utter contempt. "I'm afraid that I simply don't remember," he said, his voice laced with disgust.

"Then I hope that pain," the General said, reaching down to his belt with his long, cybernetic arm, "is something that you enjoy."

Obi-Wan watched, as the General reached down toward the blaster that hung at his hip, and then removed young Ardmak's translucent handled weapon from his belt. He took a long, deep breath, as he watched the General look at it for a long moment, and then, suddenly, toss the weapon toward him.

Obi-Wan reached out and caught the weapon; he looked back up and watched the General turn and take a step away from him. "You shall die, then, as a Jedi should," General Grievous said taking a few steps away from him, and then turning to face Obi-Wan, his long, gray cloak swirling around him as he did.

"On your feet," Grievous said, as he reached down and took two of the weapons from his belt and held them tightly in his hands. "I shall take great pleasure in taking you apart," he said, as he ignited the blades of his weapons, their brilliant green and yellow blades blazing forth and humming loudly at his sides, "one piece at a time."

Obi-Wan stood up slowly, eyeing the General warily, as he gripped young Ardmak's weapon tightly in his hand. Suddenly, he saw the General lunge at him, and he ignited the blue blade of the young Jedi's weapon and swung it up, reaching deeply into the Force, just in time to block the angry blow of the General's weapon.

* * *

Arfour sat quietly in the cockpit of Obi-Wan's fighter; he shifted his attention away from the engine maintenance he was performing toward the communications console, just as he detected the signal beacon, and he swung his sensor dome toward the flashing signal beacon on the console in the front of the ship's cockpit.

He spun the control wheels in front of him, and swung his dome around and watched as the small dish on the left wing of the ship changed position, tilting toward a point high in the reddish-orange sky, as he acknowledge the beacon and waited for the reply, from whoever it was that was trying to contact him.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine turned slowly in his chair, his fingertips bridged thoughtfully in front of him, as he heard the tall doors to his chamber open. He watched, silently, as Mace Windu pushed the doors open wide with both of his hands, and then walked slowly toward him, the other Jedi following close behind him.

"Master Windu," Palpatine said flatly, turning his chair completely around to face the small entourage that approached him head on, "to what do I owe the honor of this delightful, albeit somewhat rude intrusion?"

"I believe you know why we're here, Chancellor," Mace said, as he stopped near the center of the Chancellor's chambers and regarded him coldly as the other council members fanned out, two on either side of him, as they all stopped and eyed the Chancellor warily.

"I'm afraid you've caught me at something of a disadvantage," Palpatine said, looking at each of the Jedi who stood before him with a curious, yet cold, expression.

Mace reached into his belt, slowly, pulling out the small, translucent data disk and holding it up in front of the Chancellor. "Perhaps this will help clear up your confusion, Chancellor," he said; he looked at the disk for another moment, and then tossed it onto the desk directly in front of the gray haired Chancellor.

"We found it quite enlightening," Mace said, nodding his head as he stared at Palpatine warily, watching the Chancellor pick up the disk and look at it curiously. "I'm quite certain that you will, too," he said, gesturing toward the display on the Chancellor's desk.

Chancellor Palpatine looked at Mace for a long moment, and then turned in his chair and placed the disk in the slot in the front of the display beside him. He pressed the switch on the side of the screen, and watched in silence as the display flashed brightly, and then began to play back the recording on the disk.

Mace and the other Jedi watched the Chancellor in nervous silence, as he sat silently, his hands folded quietly in front of him, watching the recording pop and crackle as it replayed the conversation that Obi-Wan had recorded.

Ki-Adi watched Palpatine's face with keen interest, and he saw the Chancellor's expression grow dark and brooding as he watched the hooded figure on the display turn slowly toward him.

Chancellor Palpatine reached out with his hand, just as the hooded figure on the screen faced him full on, and pressed the button on the console, freezing the image in front of him. He sat motionless for a long time, looking at his own image staring back at him from the display before him. The Council members watched him, somewhat nervously, as he finally took a deep breath and slowly turned toward them.

"Well," Palpatine said, as he placed his hands on his desk and stood up from his chair, slowly. "It would seem that you've come across some rather convincing evidence, Masters," he said, as he looked up and stared at the Jedi in front of him coldly.

"Your secret is out, Master Sidious," Mace Windu said, flatly, regarding the Chancellor with a long, cold stare. "You can no longer hide behind that desk."

Chancellor Palpatine returned Mace's cold stare for a long moment, and watched as the Jedi Master in front of him placed his hands on his hip, sweeping his robe back and revealing the hilt of his lightsaber.

"We appeal to you, Chancellor," Ki-Adi said, as Palpatine turned and regarded him with the same unfeeling coldness, "Surrender to us now, peacefully," he said, as he swept his own cloak back, the hilt of his weapon flashing in chamber's light, "so that we can avoid any further bloodshed, and bring this war to an end."

"I see," Chancellor Palpatine said, nodding his head, as he walked slowly out from behind his desk and stood quietly as the Council members watched him, warily.

Chancellor Palpatine turned slowly and walked toward the window behind him, looking out over the city as the afternoon sun shone brightly on the many buildings below the Senate building for a long moment. "I take it then," he said, finally, his tone somber and resolute, "that judgment in this matter has already been passed by the Council?"

"It has," Shaak Ti said, nodding her head slowly, as she watched the Chancellor stand silently at the window in front of them. "We have obtained all the proof that we need in this matter, Chancellor," she said. "All we require now is your admission to these crimes, and your surrender."

"Very well," Palpatine said, as he stood motionless by the window, nodding his head slowly as the five senior members of the Council watched him intently. "Then here is the admission that you seek."

Mace Windu caught only a brief glimpse of Sidious' glowing yellow eyes as the Dark Lord turned around quickly, stretching out his arms toward them, as two enormous, brilliant bolts of Force lightning surged from his outstretched fingertips and surged across the room toward them, illuminating the enormous room with a blinding blue light.

The blast struck the five Jedi Masters with incredible force, sending them flying across the Chancellor's chambers, stunned and disoriented. Mace rolled onto his back, as he reached into the Force, trying to throw off the numbing effect of the blast, and raised up and looked toward Sidious as he glared at them from his position near the window.

He watched with a growing feeling of dark foreboding as the Dark Lord reached under the edge of his black ceremonial robe and produced the smoothly curved hilt of his own lightsaber and gripped it tightly in his hand as he glared at Mace, his cold, glowing yellow eyes glaring at him hatefully.

Mace reached to his side, drawing his own weapon and igniting its brilliant purple blade quickly, as the crimson red blade blazed forth in Sidious' hand. He struggled to get to his feet as quickly as he could as, with the Dark Lord's sinister laugh echoing off the walls of the once peaceful chamber, Darth Sidious leapt toward the five Jedi, the blade of his weapon raised high over his head.

* * *

"Successfull, were you?" Yoda asked, as he watched Anakin touch the switch on the display and power down the transmitter at the copilot's station.

"I think so, Master," Anakin said, turning and looking back over his shoulder at Yoda as the Jedi Master stood behind him and watched with great interest. "Arfour acknowledged that he receive our signal," he said, looking somewhat relieved. "He's going to relay it to the commander of the clone battalion right away."

"Very good," Yoda said with a nod, as he watched Anakin stand up from the copilot's station. "Help Obi-Wan, they may be able to, if in trouble he truly is."

"I hope so," Anakin said, as he started to follow Yoda back toward the passenger's compartment behind the cockpit. "I just wish we could get in touch with him so that…"

Anakin stopped, suddenly, as the dark, enormous tremor struck him like a bolt of lightning; he stumbled, instinctively reaching out toward the wall beside him, as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and clutched his forehead with his right hand.

Yoda felt the dark tremor that surged through the Force at the same time Anakin did; he took a long, deep breath, catching himself with his cane as the dark energy struck him. He turned, quickly, and watched with a sense of growing foreboding as Anakin stumbled again, and then dropped to his knees on the decking as he moaned and gasped, his breath coming in quick ragged gasps.

Yoda walked quickly to Anakin's side, taking hold of the young Jedi's shoulder as he reached out and touched the Force energy that flowed through Anakin's body. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as the intensity of the dark tremor that struck Anakin traveled to him through the Force; it was the same thing that he had sensed just a second before, only much, much stronger, an overwhelming sense of pure, unbridled evil.

"Anakin," Yoda said, opening his eyes and looking at the young Jedi Knight. "What is it that you sense?"

"I'm not sure, Master," Anakin said, his eyes still clenched shut tightly as he took another ragged breath. "Something terrible," he said, as he moaned again and grit his teeth hard.

Anakin looked back up at Yoda, his face in deep agony as he sensed the terrible tremor that flowed through the living Force. "Something terrible is happening, Master," he said weakly, as Yoda looked at him intently, his small face bearing the same look of pain and deep concern.

"We've got to get back to Coruscant," Anakin said, as he looked down and closed his eyes again. "Something terrible is happening."

* * *

Jobal felt her heart stop for an instant, as Padmé suddenly dropped her book into her lap and cried out in anguish.

"Padmé," Jobal said, as she jumped to her feet and ran quickly to the couch where, up until a moment ago, Padmé had been reading and talking with her happily. "Padmé, darling," Jobal said, as she knelt in front of Padmé and placed her hand on her daughter's face as she suddenly began to sob uncontrollably. "What's wrong, honey?" Jobal asked, frantically. "Is something wrong with the twins?"

"No," Padmé sobbed, as she looked up at her mother, her eyes filling with tears. "It's Anakin," she sobbed, as she leaned forward and cupped her face in her hands. "Something's wrong with Anakin."

"I can feel it," Padmé sobbed, as her mother wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pulling her daughter close to her. "Something's wrong, something terrible has happened."

Jobal felt her own heart catch in her throat as she gently stroked Padmé's hair as she held her daughter close; she didn't understand the bond that existed between her youngest daughter and her husband, but she didn't need to. She looked up, just in time to see Ruwee, Darred and Sola rush into the sitting room.

"What's wrong, Jobal?" Ruwee asked, deeply concerned, as he walked quickly around the couch and knelt by his wife's side as she cradled Padmé in her arms.

"I don't know," Jobal said, as she shook her head and stroked Padmé's hair comfortingly as she sobbed in her arms. "Everything was fine, and then all of a sudden she just cried out and started crying," Jobal said, as Sola sat down by Padmé's side and placed her arm around her younger sister's shoulders.

"She says that something's wrong with Anakin," Jobal said, as she turned a deeply worried gaze to her eldest daughter.

"Padmé," Sola said softly, as she leaned close to her sister's side, "Padmé, what's wrong? Is Anakin okay?"

"I don't know," Padmé sobbed, as she looked up at her sister's deeply worried face. "I've never felt anything like that before," she sobbed, and she cupped her face in her hands again. "Oh, Anakin," she sobbed again, "Please, Anakin…"

"Padmé," Sola said, as she knelt on the floor beside her mother and took Padmé's face in her hands, gently lifting her face so she could see her. "Padmé, calm down," Sola said, softly, gently stroking her younger sister's cheek.

"You can feel him, Padmé," Sola said quietly, as she gazed comfortingly into Padmé's worried, tear stained face. "You can always feel him," she said. "But you've got to calm down before you can do that. Do you understand?"

Darred watched his wife, deeply concerned, as she spoke comfortingly to her sister. "You told me that whenever you're quiet, you can feel him, Padmé," Sola said, as she nodded her head and gazed into her younger sister's anguished eyes.

"Just calm down, okay?" she said, as Padmé closed her eyes and nodded her head, haltingly. "Close your eyes, and just think about him for a minute," Sola said, as she placed her hands on Padmé's shoulders. "Don't think about what you felt," she said. "Just think about Anakin."

Padmé nodded again, as she held her mother's hands tightly as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, still sobbing softly. "Come on, Padmé," Sola said, comfortingly. "Just think about him, and how much you love him."

They all sat in tense, worried silence for a long time, with only Sola's comforting, soft voice and Padmé's slowly subsiding sobs to break the worried tension. Finally, when she saw that her sister seemed to be relaxing somewhat, Sola spoke to her again, softly.

"Can you feel him, Padmé?" Sola asked, as she squeezed her hands tightly.

Jobal, Ruwee, and Darred watched intently as Padmé sat quietly for a moment, trembling, and then slowly nodded her head. "Yes," she finally said, softly, her eyes still closed tightly.

Jobal closed her eyes and sighed with relief, as Padmé seemed to calm down more with each passing moment; she turned and looked at Ruwee as he leaned forward and wiped his hand across his forehead, and then looked back up at his wife.

"That feeling's never led you wrong, Padmé," Sola said softly, as Padmé looked up at her sister and opened her eyes. "I don't know what's happened," Sola said, "but if you can feel him," she nodded, "then he's fine."

Padmé looked at Sola and took a long, trembling breath, and then nodded her head, slowly. "Thank you, Sola," Padmé whispered, her voice trembling as her breath still caught in her throat.

"Artoo can find him, can't he?" Sola asked, as Padmé looked at her older sister thoughtfully.

"Yes," Padmé said softly, her voice still trembling. "He knows Anakin's tracking signal," she said. "He should be able to find him anywhere."

"Good," Sola said, smiling reassuringly at her. "Just sit here and relax for a few minutes," she said, "and then we'll go down to the ship and have Artoo contact him."

"Okay," Padmé whispered, nodding her head as her voice caught in her throat again.

Sola looked up at Darred, allowing him to see her share his own worried expression, as she pulled Padmé into her arms and hugged her tightly as they all sat in a very worried silence.

* * *

Obi-Wan brought his weapon up, catching the blade in General Greivous' right hand, and then pushed it away from him with all of his might; he took a step forward, as he reached deeply into the Force and swung his blade back hard left, then right, his weapon moving in smooth, circular motions as he lashed out against the massive cyborg.

General Grievous took a step back, his long, powerful legs echoing loudly off the stone floor as they fought. He had anticipated that this Jedi Knight would have succumbed quickly, like the others; he found though, that the Force was much stronger with this particular Jedi than he had anticipated; as he moved his weapons quickly, barely managing to turn Obi-Wan's furious attacks aside. He bellowed angrily, as he took a hard step forward, and then swung the blade in his left hand around at Obi-Wan furiously.

Obi-Wan spun quickly, catching the brilliant yellow blade in Grievous' left hand as it spun toward him; he pushed it away, quickly lifting his weapon up and over his head, catching the green one that lunged out at him from behind, and then dropped to his knee, swinging his blade around full force toward the General's midsection.

Grievous cried out and stepped back quickly, just as the tip of Obi-Wan's saber sliced through the power cell of one of the sabers that hung at the General's waist; the cell exploded violently, and, taking advantage of the General's momentary distraction, Obi-Wan reached into the Force and pushed, hard, lifting the massive cyborg into the air and sending him flying backwards into the row of control stations behind him, sending a brilliant array of sparks throughout the command center as the General's weapons struck the displays at his sides.

Obi-Wan took a few deep breaths, as he watched the massive cyborg leap back up onto his powerful legs; he glared at Obi-Wan, his yellow eyes staring out at him from under his faceless gray mask angrily.

"You try my patience, Jedi," Grievous growled, as he stretched his arms out straight at his sides; Obi-Wan watched in disbelief, his weapon humming at his side, as, directly below the General's forearms, another pair of long, slender hands slowly unfolded and swung toward his outstretched hands. As they extended fully, they dropped, suddenly, as his long, sinuous arms slowly split in two, and then dropped down to his belt, long thin fingers retrieving the remaining two sabers that swung there.

Obi-Wan swallowed hard, as he watched the General ignite the other two sabers, and then swing the two blades at each of his sides in perfect symmetry, as he leaned forward and bellowed at Obi-Wan angrily.

"Now, General," Obi-Wan panted, as he instinctively took a step back away from Grievous as the angry cyborg took a huge step toward him, "don't you think that's a little unfair?"

Grievous bellowed angrily in reply, his yellow eyes flashing beneath his faceless mask, as he began to spin the four sabers in his hands quickly. Obi-wan brought his blade up, fast and furiously, as he reached, as deeply as he ever had, into the Force; his blade moved in lightning quick fashion, as he fought desperately to fend off the General's angry attack.

* * *

Mace Windu struggled to get to his feet, just as Sidious swung his blade down hard at Shaak Ti.

She had been thrown against the large, ornate credenza that stood near the side of the Chancellor's chambers; she had managed to get to her feet and ignite her weapon, just in time to bring the orange blade of her saber up and catch Sidious' brilliant crimson blade.

Mace, Ki-Adi, and the others all leapt to their feet, shaking off the numbing effect of Sidious' vicious attack, as they watched Shaak Ti swing her weapon wildly, as she attempted to fend off the ferocious attack that Sidious unleashed on her. He swung his blade down at her again, and she spun hard to her left, bringing her own crashing against his and pushing it hard away from her, as she swung it hard to her right and back toward the Dark Lord with a loud cry.

Sidious turned her blade aside with his own effortlessly, just as Plo Kloon ran up behind the Dark Lord and brought his weapon down toward him as hard as he could. Sidious spun, quickly, with a speed and agility that few of them had ever seen, catching Plo's blade, and then, stretching out his left hand toward him, he unleashed another incredible bolt of Force lightning, striking Plo squarely in the chest and sending him flying back toward the windows of the Chancellor's chambers.

Mace watched, in horror, as Plo's weapon pierced the thick glass; his body struck the window with full force, and, as the glass shattered into thousands of pieces, Mace and the others watched in horrified silence as Plo crashed through the glass and plummeted headlong to the depths of the city far below them.

Shaak Ti watched, in stunned silence, as Plo disappeared through the shattered window, as the strong winds outside the top of the Senate building whipped wildly through the room; it was an indulgence that would cost her her life, however, as Sidious spun around quickly, swinging his weapon toward her with incredible speed.

She only saw his haunting yellow eyes for a moment, as she struggled to raise her blade up to protect herself. "_Nooooo!"_ Mace cried out, as he ran toward her, just as Sidious brought his brilliant crimson blade around cleanly, sending her headless body collapsing limply to the floor.

* * *

Obi-Wan stumbled, as the massive tremor in the Force coursed through his body; he paused, yet only for an instant, as the incredible sense of dark evil and despair overtook him, and then he swung his blade up in front of him as the General brought his own down on him with all of his might.

The combined force of the General's blow and the distraction of the dark tremor in the Force proved too much for Obi-Wan, and he tripped and stumbled backwards, just as the General leaned back on his powerful cybernetic leg and kicked out toward Obi-Wan as hard as he could with the other.

Obi-Wan saw a wave of stars flash in front of his eyes as Grievous' hard, steel foot caught him cleanly in the chest, sending him flying backwards against the wall of the command center with incredible force. He cried out in pain, as the console behind him bit into his back, and he rolled forward and dropped to the cold hard floor, his weapon clattering to the ground beside him.

Obi-Wan struggled to catch his breath, as he rolled onto his back and looked up at the massive cyborg as he approached him. He drew himself back, instinctively, as Grievous approached him and stood over him, the four sabers in his hands humming loudly at his sides.

"I promised you a painful death, Jedi," Grievous said, glaring down at Obi-Wan, his eyes flashing at him through his faceless mask as he looked at the helpless Jedi before him. "And I intend," Grievous said, as he raised the weapon in one of his right arms high over his head, "to keep that promise."

Obi-Wan looked at the General, as he felt that familiar sense of despair begin to overtake him. His eyes focused, as he glanced at the General's mid section, on the weapon belt around his waist; he saw the light of the chamber glint, for just an instant, off the hilt of the blaster pistol that hung just under the General's long gray cloak.

Reaching into the Force with all of his might, Obi-Wan stretched out his hand toward the General; the massive cyborg looked down, just in time to see the blaster pistol as it was stripped cleanly from its holster and fly through the air into Obi-Wan's outstretched hand.

Obi-Wan flipped the safety off and, squeezing the trigger and aiming directly at the General's mid section, he fired, over and over, as he cried out, loud and angrily.

* * *

Anakin turned and looked back at Yoda, as he sat quietly on the bench in the passenger's compartment of their ship, allowing the Force to flow though him as the dark tremors continued to come.

Yoda turned his own, deeply pained expression toward Anakin, as he sensed the same thing that Anakin had. He could see the pain, the sorrow and the agony that shone back to him from the young Jedi's eyes.

"They're dying, Master," Anakin said, his young face bearing a sorrow that stretched far beyond his relatively few years. "And there's nothing we can do about it."

Yoda looked at Anakin for a long moment, his own eyes sad and sorrowful, and then he slowly closed them and turned his face back down toward his folded hands.

* * *

Mace Windu stood, in horrified silence, as he watched Ki-Adi drop slowly to his knees, his weapon rolling from his hand to the floor beside him, as he looked down at the crimson blade that protruded from his chest.

Darth Sidious withdrew his blade quickly, and then, reaching into the dark energy that flowed so freely through him, he picked up Ki-Adi and threw him with incredible force against the wall of the Chancellor's office, and then spun quickly, catching Mace's blade neatly and turning it aside.

"Come now, Master Windu," Darth Sidious said, glaring at Mace with his haunting, glowing eyes and laughing at him tauntingly. "I expected more from you," he said, and then looked back at the three dead Jedi who lay on the floor near them, "and your associates."

Sidious lunged at him, swinging his blade furiously; Mace brought his blade up, catching Sidious' crimson blade, turning it aside, and then lashed out furiously with his own attack, swinging his brilliant purple blade left, right, and then left again.

Mace had fought many foes over the years; but none had proven as deadly as the one that he now faced. He was their last hope, he knew, as he reached deeply into the Force, trying desperately to stop the incredible power that surged from the Dark Side through the dark abomination that stood before him.

Mace swung his weapon down hard, pressing Sidious as hard as he could, as the Dark Lord caught his thrust with his own saber and held Mace's brilliant purple blade at bay. "It would appear," Darth Sidious said, as he glared up at Mace with an evil smile, their two blades crackling and hissing in violent opposition, "that Count Dooku was correct."

"Just what was it," Mace said, his teeth clenched tightly as he glared back at the Sith before him, "that Dooku told you?"

"He said that the Jedi had grown weak," Sidious said, smiling up at Mace and laughing as he spoke.

"We'll see just how weak we've become," Mace said, and he pushed Sidious' blade aside and swung his own around, as hard as he possibly could.

Sidious caught the angry thrust and, using Windu's own momentum to his advantage, he spun in concert with him, bringing his own weapon around in full circle. Mace cried out and leapt backwards, instinctively, as the crimson blade bit deeply into his shoulder.

Mace staggered backwards, clutching his shoulder in pain, his weapon glowing brightly at his side, as he watched the Dark Lord step slowly toward him, his evil laugh echoing through the chamber around him.

Mace glanced around the room, for a moment, as he turned his eyes to the bodies of his friends that lie scattered throughout the chamber; he felt his own heart cry out in agony, as he felt the dark tremors that coursed through the Force, and he tried, desperately to shrug them off, along with the pain that coursed through his shoulder. He had to stop him, and he had to stop him now; _otherwise, _he thought to himself, _all hope is lost._

Mace turned and looked over his shoulder, as he heard the door to the chamber open behind him; he watched, warily, as the dark, hooded figure entered the room and stopped just a short distance from him, and turned to face the wounded Jedi Master.

Mace looked at the face underneath the thick, black hood in bewilderment. "Anakin?" he asked, as he saw the familiar face looking back at him. _They must have been closer to Coruscant than we thought they were, _he thought to himself, as he turned and looked back at Sidious, who stood quietly a short distance from him, his cold, yellow eyes watching him attentively.

"Where's Master Yoda?" Mace asked, as he took a step closer to Sidious, bringing his blade up closer to his side, as he turned and watched the young Jedi take a step closer toward him.

"He's on his way, Master," he heard the familiar voice call to him; Mace stopped for a moment, as something in that voice reverberated through his mind. _Something doesn't feel right, _Mace thought to himself, as he turned and glanced back as the young Jedi took a step closer to him, and then turned and glared back at Darth Sidious; Mace turned and looked back at Sidious, just in time to see him return the young Jedi's hateful gaze, and then swing his crimson blade at his side with a sinister laugh.

_It must be Sidious. He's clouding my mind, I must stay focused, _Mace thought, as he turned his attention back to the Dark Lord and took another step closer to him. "You go in on the right, Anakin," Mace said, as he took a step slowly toward the left side of the room. "We'll take him together," Mace said, and he glanced over his shoulder at the young Jedi, who nodded his head and reached under his thick black cloak to retrieve his weapon.

Mace turned his eyes back toward Sidious as he took a long, deep breath. "There's only one problem with that plan, Master," Mace heard the familiar voice say, as he heard the lightsaber power up behind him as he took another step closer to Sidious; he looked up, as the Dark Lord glared at him with an evil, haunting smile.

Mace suddenly felt an incredible, searing heat travel through his body; he looked down, just in time to see the bright, crimson blade burst through his tunic, as the sordid smell of cauterized flesh and burning material filled his nostrils.

He looked back, slowly, over his shoulder, to the familiar face that glared at him with the same cold, yellow, unfeeling eyes. "You're not Anakin," Mace gasped, as the young Sith's lip curled into an evil, unfeeling smirk.

"You're right," Vader said, as he withdrew his crimson blade from the Jedi master's chest, "but don't worry, he said, his eyes flashing in the dim light. "He'll be next."

Vader watched with dark satisfaction as Mace Windu dropped to his knees on the chamber floor in front of him, his weapon clattering to the floor beside him. Vader walked around in front of him slowly, his long black cloak swirling around his boots, as he watched the Jedi master struggle to take another breath.

Mace looked up, and watched as the Sith Lord and his apprentice stood in front of him, watching him with a dark satisfaction as he struggled to speak. "You haven't won this," Mace said, struggling to take another breath. "The prophecy will be fulfilled," he said, as he grimaced and clutched his hand to his chest. "We will restore balance to the Force."

"Balance this," Vader growled, his face twisted with dark anger, as he took a step back away from Mace Windu and lifted his weapon up to his side, it's brilliant crimson blade humming loudly.

Darth Sidious' sinister laughter filled the Chancellor's office, a room that was once the symbol of peace and harmony in the Republic, as he watched Mace Windu close his eyes as his young apprentice swung his crimson blade around hard at Mace's neck.

As the fallen Jedi's body slumped to the floor, Darth Vader turned around, his weapon glowing crimson red in his gloved hand, and he dropped slowly to one knee as his dark master approached him.

"How can I serve you, Master?" Vader said, casting his gaze down at his Master's feet as he approached him.

"Arise, my young apprentice," Sidious said, regarding his apprentice with a sinister pride as he stood up and bowed reverently before him. "You have done well, Lord Vader," Sidious said, as he looked over the young Sith lord's shoulder at Mace Windu's lifeless body. "Our final attack against the Jedi has begun."

"Thank you, my Master," Vader said, bowing reverently again, the glowing crimson blade of his saber still humming at his side.

"Go to the Jedi Temple, as we discussed," Darth Sidious said, flatly. "Activate the homing beacon," he said, "and tie up any loose ends that remain there."

"Understood, my Master," Vader said, bowing again, as he extinguished the blade of his weapon and returned it to his belt beneath his cloak.

"On your way, then," Sidious said, as he watched Vader bow again reverently. "I will take care of the Jedi on the outlying systems," Sidious said, and then he turned and looked at the bodies of the fallen Jedi that lay strewn about his chambers. "I will call an emergency meeting of the Senate," Sidious said, regarding his young apprentice with a sinister smile, "to deal with the situation here."

"Yes, my Master," Lord Vader said, and, placing his hood back over his head, he turned and made his way through the shattered Chancellor's office and back down the long hallway toward the exit.

Darth Sidious pressed the igniter on his weapon, returning it to the belt hidden beneath his robes, as he turned and looked once more at the fallen Jedi that lay strewn about his chambers. He turned, slowly, and walked to the shattered window where Plo Kloon had fallen and, the wind blowing strongly through his gray hair and robes, he looked out over the city as the sun began to slip below the tallest buildings, as Coruscant's night began to fall.


	9. Darkness Falls

_**Chapter 9: Darkness Falls**_

With a trembling hand, Obi-Wan slowly lowered the blaster to the floor; he closed his eyes for a moment, reaching deeply into the Force as he took a long, trembling breath, doing his best to calm himself.

He could still feel the dark tremor that he had sensed in the Force only moments ago. It had torn through him like the searing hot blade of a lightsaber; something had happened, that much he knew, and his instincts told him that, whatever it was, it wasn't good, and it troubled him, deeply.

What bothered him most, though, was what the dark sensation had stirred in him. He slowly opened his eyes, gazing through the haze of smoke and sparks that filled the room in front of him; the General's body lay only a short distance from him, his long cybernetic limbs still twitching erratically.

Obi-Wan grimaced as he reached up and took hold of the control station beside him and slowly pulled himself up off the cold, hard floor. He reached over and rubbed his arm gingerly, his back still aching from the impact with the control station, as he walked slowly across the smoke filled chamber and looked down at the General's mangled, smoking corpse.

The General's body, if it could truly be called a body, lay before him, and he looked at it for a long time. The high-powered blaster that he had stripped from Grievous' side had done its job well; he wasn't sure how many times he had pulled the trigger, but the force of the weapon's multiple blasts had nearly cut the massive cyborg cleanly in two, leaving his burned and decimated remains lying on the hard floor, held together only by a few wires, cables, and a mass of sinewy flesh, bones, and metal. Obi-Wan could see the dark combination of blood and hydraulic fluids that oozed out of the abdomen of the horrifying mixture of flesh and machine, pooling onto the hard floor beneath him.

_You didn't have to do that, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, and he took a long, deep breath as he cringed at the General's decimated mid section; _one shot would have been enough._

He watched for a moment, quietly rubbing his shoulder, as Grievous' long cybernetic arm lifted slowly and twitched again. He turned his attention to his gray, faceless mask; the General's eyes peered out at him, yet they saw nothing as they stared blankly at the ceiling of the chamber above them. He knew, instinctively, that whatever part of the General that could have truly been called alive was now dead, and it was just a matter of time before his cybernetic systems caught up and shut down for good.

He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, as he felt the dark wave of anger welling up inside of him again. _No, _Obi-Wan thought to himself; y_ou know better than this. You can't give in to anger._

He knew in his heart, though, that he already had to some extent, and it troubled him deeply, just as it had when he had confronted Qui-Gon's killer all those years ago. The combination of the dark tremor that had surged through the Force and the knowledge of what the General had been guilty of had proven to be too much, even for someone of his calm, forgiving nature. He had lashed out, violently, and he could still feel the dark, angry satisfaction that he had felt each time he had pulled the trigger on the weapon that he still held tightly in his hand.

Opening his eyes, he raised the blaster up in front of him, studying it thoughtfully for a long moment. _Serves him right, _he thought, as he gazed down at his fallen adversary with contempt, and tossed the blaster onto what remained of the General's chest. He turned his eyes to the lightsabers that lay strewn about the smoke filled chamber near the General's body; _He killed those Jedi, _he thought, _with the weapons from those he'd already killed. _Even he had to admit, whether he liked the fact that he had lashed out so violently or not, that there was a deeply poetic justice in the fact that this hardhearted killer had died at the business end of his own weapon.

Obi-Wan turned his gaze toward young Ardmak's translucent-handled weapon, as it lay on the floor not far from him; he stretched out his hand toward it, and it lept from the floor effortlessly and flew through the smoke toward him. He caught it and looked at it thoughtfully for a long moment, turning it over slowly in his hand. Ardmak would never know how well the weapon that he had fashioned had served the Jedi Master who held it now.

"You promised me a long, painful death, General," Obi-Wan said, turning back to his fallen adversary as he secured Ardmak's saber at his side. "Sorry to disappoint you," he said, "but I promised Ardmak that I'd get this back for him."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took another long breath, as he felt another wave of dark tremors surge through the Force that flowed through him. He didn't know what was happening, but of one thing he was sure; he had to get out of here and contact the Council. He needed to know what was happening, and he needed to know now.

He took one more long, disdainful look at General Grievous' corpse, and then turned quickly and started to make his way toward the tunnels and the surface.

* * *

Bail Organa looked up from his desk in his study, as he heard the door open and saw his wife look toward him, a concerned expression on her usually lovely face.

"Yes, Breha," Bail said, regarding her curiously as he looked up from the brief that he had been reading; he knew, instinctively, that something was wrong. Breha never interrupted him in his study, even though he had told her many times that it was all right to do so. "What is it?"

"There's an intern here from the Senate, Bail," Breha said quietly. "Something's happened. Chancellor Palpatine has ordered an emergency session of the Senate. You're wanted back at the Senate Building immediately."

Bail's own expression grew more concerned as he looked at her, puzzled. "An emergency session?" he asked, as he laid the data pad in his hand down on his desk. "At this late hour in the afternoon? Why didn't they just contact us as usual?"

"I don't know," Breha said, shaking her head. "But the intern says that it's extremely urgent. You're to leave for the Senate building with him immediately."

Bail didn't like the sound of this, not at all. The Chancellor had been calling these sessions far too often lately, and they never centered around news that he found particularly positive for the Republic, or their efforts to bring the Clone Wars to an end.

"Does he say what's happened?" he asked, as he stood up and switched the light off on his desk.

"No," Breha said, shaking her head again as he walked quickly toward her. She reached over to the chair beside the door and retrieving her husband's cloak, holding it up for him, as he turned his back to her and slipped his arms into it.

"He only said that it was very urgent," she said, as she placed the cloak on his shoulders and watched as he turned to face her again. "It must be," Breha said, her face showing her concern, "for them to have sent him to get you directly."

Bail nodded his head, slowly, and then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't worry, my dear," he said, offering her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure that it's nothing too serious. The Chancellor has just grown a bit impatient as of late. He doesn't like to be kept waiting these days."

Breha smiled back at him. "I hope it's not," she said, and she watched him as he fastened the collar of his cloak and looked back up at her.

"I'll be back shortly," Bail said, as he reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said, as he reached for the door. "We shouldn't be long."

Breha smiled back at him, and watched as he turned and walked out of the study and headed toward the front of their residence, where the senate intern waited for him.

* * *

He sat down quietly in his chair behind the large, ornate desk, and reached over to the small drawer to his right. He opened it, and then reached into the drawer and retrieved a small, translucent data disk; he closed the drawer slowly, and then leaned back in his chair, holding the small device up in front of him, studying it for a long, quiet moment.

Even he had to admit, as a sinister smirk spread across his face as he looked at the tiny, shimmering disk, that it seemed impossible that so small a thing could hold the fate of so many. Even more so, he thought, when he considered whose fate it was that he and this tiny device now controlled.

He looked back across his now devastated chambers, toward the bodies of the three Jedi that lay strewn across the floor. Palpatine smiled as he looked at them for a long moment, and then turned and placed the small disk into the slot on the communications terminal that sat on his desk. He reached over and pressed the switch on the display, and watched as the system loaded the access codes and beacon transponder frequencies into the transmitter's database and prepared it for transmission.

The Chancellor sat back and folded his hands in front of him, watching as the access codes sorted quickly on the display in front of him. Count Dooku had done well indeed, he mused, when he had commissioned the Kaminoan cloners to produce the army so long ago. His hard work, it seemed, was about to pay off, as he watched the thousands of codes feed themselves into the transmitter, as he prepared to put his own, simple design request to the Kaminoan cloners to the ultimate test.

The thing that pleased him most, though, as he reflected on the simple genius of what was about to transpire, is that the Jedi, with all of their wisdom and knowledge, had never seen it coming, and they never would, until it was far too late.

The shear beauty of it stretched even beyond his own expectations, and he smiled as he watched the last batch of access codes feed into the transmitter. Thousands of warriors, all highly skilled and trained, cloned from a single, fierce bounty hunter; a formidable army, by any measure or standard. And now, that massive, powerful army, one of the largest ever created, was spread throughout the galaxy, the Jedi commanders of its many battalions leading them on a vain crusade to rid the Republic of the pitiful droid armies of the Separatists.

How deliciously fitting, the Chancellor thought to himself, as he reached over and pressed the button on the console, engaging the long range transmitter that sat high atop the Senate Building, that those Jedi would now find themselves facing those very same soldiers that they had commanded only moments before.

Palpatine smiled as he stood up slowly, watching the transmitter change transponder frequencies quickly, sending groups of command codes to one battalion, then another, as the long prepared program executed itself with deadly precision, one matched only by the cold brutality of his young apprentice who now made his way to the Jedi Temple.

Palpatine walked around his desk, and then paused for another moment beside Mace Windu's body; he stretched out his hand, and the fallen Jedi Master's weapon lept from the floor and into his outstretched palm.

"Thank you, Master Windu," Palpatine said, as he tossed the weapon in his hand with a thoughtful smile, and then started to the door of his chamber. "You've been most helpful, as always."

Palpatine laughed to himself, as he placed Windu's weapon inside his cloak, and then walked through the doorway, closing and locking it behind him.

* * *

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes as he ran quickly out of the dark tunnel and out into the waning sunlight; it was late afternoon now, but the obscured sun in the orange-gold, cloud strewn sky was still bright enough to cause him to squint, as he raised his hand to his face, shielding his eyes as he looked up toward the lip of the crater where Commander Cody had concealed himself earlier.

Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of movement across the crater's floor to his left; he turned around, just in time to see the bright flash of the blaster rifle in the clone trooper's hand as he leveled it at him.

Obi-Wan lept backwards into the tunnel's opening, reaching for the saber at his side as the blast narrowly missed him and struck the hard, stone wall at the chamber's entrance. "What in the blazes is going on!" Obi-Wan shouted, as he turned his head and closed his eyes as the weapon's blast sent a shower of sand and pulverized rock over him.

He reached for the comlink on his belt, bringing it up quickly to his face as he powered up the light saber in his hand. "Commander Cody!" Obi-Wan yelled into the comlink, as another series of laser blasts struck the wall near him. "It's me, Obi-Wan!" he shouted, as he leaned carefully to his left and peered out across the crater. "Break off your attack, immediately!"

Cody didn't answer; Obi-Wan looked out again, carefully, and saw the two groups of clone troopers that ran quickly down the steeply sloping surface of the crater a short distance from him. He watched in confused amazement, as he saw Cody step out from behind a large rock formation sixty or seventy yards from him, and then motion toward the opening where Obi-Wan now stood as the troopers approached him.

_Maybe something's wrong with the comlink, _Obi-Wan thought, and he leaned out from his hiding place just inside the tunnel's entrance, exposing himself clearly so that Cody could see him as he shouted loudly to his friend.

"Commander Cody!" Obi-Wan yelled again, "It's me, Obi-Wan! Break off you're attack, I'm coming out to…"

Obi-Wan watched in disbelief as Cody shouldered his weapon and opened fire on him again. Obi-Wan jerked himself back inside, turning his head and closing his eyes just as another shower of sparks and pulverized stone rained down on him again.

"What the _hell_ is going on around here?" Obi-Wan shouted, as he looked out cautiously and looked up toward the rim of the crater. He watched as more and more troopers ran over the lip of the crater, their boots kicking up huge clouds of dust as they ran quickly down the sloping surface toward him.

"This is unbelievable," Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked down at the comlink in his hand, tapping its controls quickly as he changed the frequency, just as another barrage of laser fire surged through the tunnel's opening and struck the wall across from him. "What else can go wrong today?" he sighed under his breath, as he locked the frequency into the comlink.

"Arfour," Obi-Wan shouted, as another series of laser fire struck the wall near him, "Arfour, can you here me? I need you to get the ship down here, as fast as you can!"

* * *

The two young Jedi watched, as they stood quietly on either side of the main Council chambers, as the dark, hooded figure walked toward them, his boots echoing off of the smooth marble floors as he made his way toward the Council chambers.

They looked at each other, curiously; Masters Windu and Mundi had assigned them to guard the Council chamber, and had ordered all of the first year Jedi and young padawans to return to the old dormitories until further notice; no one should be here now, not until the Council returned.

"I'm sorry," Ilan, the older of the two said, raising his hand as he watched the mysterious figure approach them, "but you're not supposed to be here. No one is to leave the dormitories until Master Windu returns. Council's orders."

Ilan felt his blood run cold, as he saw the glowing, yellow eyes under the hood look up at him; he glanced down, his hand reaching for his weapon, as he saw the light flash off of the saber that the dark figure produced from under his cloak.

Ilan and his companion both ignited their weapons, as they saw the brilliant red blade blaze forth in Vader's hand, as he lunged at the two young Jedi Knights viciously, swinging the blade of his weapon up high over his head.

* * *

Darth Vader pushed the doors to the main Council Chamber open, and stepped inside; the crimson blade of his weapon still hummed at his side, as he looked back for just a moment to the bodies of the two young Jedi that lay outside the doorway.

They had been little more than a nuisance to him, and he shook his head disdainfully as he turned and made his way toward the head of the Council Chamber, powering down his weapon as he walked.

Vader walked past the senior member's chairs to the large, round structure that stood behind them, near the window. He reached out and pressed the small button on the side of the smooth, round device, and then watched as a panel near the top slowly opened, revealing a small electronic transmitter and display hidden inside.

He pressed the power switch on the side of the display, and then quickly tapped the control pad, entering the command sequences that he had memorized long ago.

He smiled, his eyes shining with a haunting, evil satisfaction as his fingers flew over the control pad; it was working, just like he'd practiced many times in the simulations that he had run over and over on Kamino during his training with Count Dooku.

Vader tapped the control pad several more times, the light from its display reflecting in his haunting eyes as he worked, and then reached to the side and engaged the transmitter; the transmitter's beacon indicator began to flash brightly, as it sent its signal out from the transmitting dish perched high atop the Temple's main spire.

Vader pressed the switch on the outside of the structure, and the access panel slowly closed and dropped back into place. He turned, still clutching the hilt of his weapon tightly in his gloved hand, as he walked back across the Council chamber to the computer terminal near the door, the sound of his boots echoing loudly off the walls of the large, empty chamber.

He touched the display, and it lit up instantly; he tapped the screen in several places, and he stopped as a map of the Temple appeared on the display. Vader studied it, for a long moment, as he traced his finger along the display from the Chamber where he now stood to the larger meeting halls and dormitories.

_Very helpful, those two. They saved me quite a bit of searching, _Vader thought, as he marked the path to the dormitories in his mind. He turned and walked back through the doorway, stepping over young Ilan's body unceremoniously, and headed down the hallway toward the lift that led to the padawan's dormitories below, his long, black cloak swirling around his boots as he walked.

* * *

Anakin had only taken a few steps toward their ship's cockpit, when he felt another dark, sinister tremor travel through the Force that flowed through him; he placed his hand on the ship's bulkhead and closed his eyes, as he took a deep breath and reached out with his feelings again.

He understood, now, what it was that Yoda had been trying to tell him the night before, as he allowed his love for Padmé to flow through him as he focused his mind and attention on her familiar tremor in his heart. _Rely on the Force, and your companion, you must, just as she relies on you, _Yoda had told him. He had always known how deeply he relied on her love and her strength, but not until now had he ever truly realized how much, and just how strong that love truly was.

He took another long breath, exhaling slowly, as he felt the dark, sinister tremor subside, as the warm feeling of love and devotion that flowed through him swept it away into the darkness from which it had come.

Anakin opened his eyes, and stood quietly for a moment, looking thoughtfully out of the ship's window a short distance from him. He knew, instinctively, that Padmé would be able to sense what was going on, and he knew that she'd be worried. He needed to contact her as soon as he could; she needed to know that he was all right.

Anakin turned and looked back over his shoulder toward Yoda. The tiny Jedi Master sat meditating quietly on the bench, his eyes closed and his head lowered, his small hands folded in his lap. He knew that Yoda was sensing the same things that he was, and he truly understood how powerfully the Force was with Yoda now, and it humbled him greatly as he watched him. Anakin had Padmé and her love to rely on to help him through this; he couldn't imagine facing what was happening alone, as Yoda now was. He had always respected the aged Jedi Master, but never as much as he did now.

Anakin turned his attention back to the cockpit, as he walked up and stood beside Captain Netaka, as he piloted their ship quietly toward Coruscant. "How much longer till we make Coruscant, Captain?" Anakin asked, as he looked out of the ship's window and watched as the stars swept by them as they streaked through hyperspace.

Captain Netaka looked down at the navigational computer on the ship's console, reaching over and tapping the controls quickly. "One hour, forty seven minutes, sir," Netaka said, looking back over his shoulder at Anakin. "Give or take a few minutes."

Anakin nodded his head slowly. "Very good," he said, as he looked back at their clone pilot. "Keep an eye on the communications console. Be sure to let me know if you see any kind of reply to our transmission to the Council."

"Yes, sir," Netaka said with a nod, and he turned his attention back toward the viewscreen in front of him. "I haven't seen anything yet, but I'll be sure to…"

Anakin reached out and placed his hand on Netaka's shoulder, as he watched the young pilot reach up suddenly and place his hand to his helmet as he slumped forward in the pilot's chair for a moment. "Captain," Anakin said, his face growing concerned, "are you all right?"

"I think so, sir," Netaka said, as he sat back up slowly in the pilot's chair, shaking his head. "I felt a bit dizzy for a moment," he said, "but I think I'm fine."

"You're probably just tired, Captain," Anakin said, as he watched Netaka shake his head again, still holding his hand to his helmet. "I'm going to tell Master Yoda that I'm going to take over and give you a break for a while," he said, patting Netaka's shoulder. "Just sit tight a moment and I'll be right back to relieve you."

Netaka nodded his head, slowly, and Anakin turned and started back toward the passenger's compartment, where Yoda sat meditating quietly. Anakin walked up beside the tiny Jedi master, and reached down and touched Yoda gently on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Master," Anakin said apologetically as Yoda opened his eyes and looked up at him. "Captain Netaka looks like he could use a break for a while," Anakin said. "If it's alright with you, I'm going to relieve him for a while so he can come back here and get a little rest."

"Reasonable, that is," Yoda said, as he nodded his head approvingly. "Far from Coruscant, are we?"

"Not far at all, Master," Anakin said, shaking his head. "Less than two hours, actually. Hopefully, we should be there in time to…"

Anakin stopped in mid sentence, as he heard the shrill tones that suddenly began to sound from both his and Yoda's weapon belts. He and Yoda exchanged glances for just a moment, as the high-pitched tones echoed through the ship's cabin.

"Activated the homing beacon, someone has," Yoda said, his face growing deeply concerned again as he reached down to his small belt and retrieved the tiny device from its pouch.

They were a standard item that every Jedi carried; a tiny transmitter/receiver combination, each one coded to a unique frequency and powered by a tiny crystal, the same type of crystal used to construct a lightsaber. Combined with its tiny fuel cell, the transmitter produced a signal so strong that its owner could be located across the galaxy if necessary, a tracking device that was unmatched, either by design or efficiency, perfected over thousands of years by the Jedi Order.

But when the homing beacon was activated at the Temple, the devices served another purpose, allowing the temple to summon every Jedi in the galaxy in a time of crisis. Anakin reached down and retrieved his own from its place on his belt, and looked at the tiny display on the small device intently, as the broadcast message from the Temple scrolled slowly across it.

"I don't understand, Master," Anakin said, his expression deeply puzzled as he looked back at Yoda. "I thought they were supposed to tell us what was going on when the homing beacon was activated," he said, as Yoda looked up at him. "All I'm getting is a short message that says we're all to return to the Temple, immediately."

"And I as well," Yoda said, pressing the tiny switch on the side of the device to silence it. "Expected, I would have," Yoda said, as he slowly returned the device to his belt, "some news, at least, from their confrontation with the Chancellor."

"Deeply disturbing, this is," Yoda said, his small face growing concerned as he looked back up at the Jedi Knight who stood beside him.

Anakin let his mind drift back, uneasily, to the dark tremors that had struck him so viciously a bit earlier. "Only the Council would be able to activate the beacon, Master," Anakin said quietly, as Yoda looked at him thoughtfully. "And if they're there to activate it, then why haven't they responded to our calls? It doesn't make sense that they wouldn't…"

Anakin's senses were suddenly on fire; he reached around with his right hand, retrieving the saber that hung at his left side, and spun with lighting speed toward the cockpit of their ship; he pressed the igniter and swung his weapon up in front of him just in time for its brilliant white blade to catch the laser blast from Captain Nataka's weapon and send it harmlessly into the thick decking just below the ship's main door.

"Captain, what are you doing!" Anakin yelled over the hum of his saber, as he watched Netaka take another step toward them and level his weapon at them again. "Have you lost your mind? Put that weapon away," Anakin yelled, "or you're going to get us all killed!"

He looked at the clone pilot's eyes as he leveled his blaster at the two Jedi again; they were filled with an unbelievable rage, cold and empty like the vast expanse of space that their vessel hurtled through. He swung his blade around to his left, just as Yoda jumped down beside him as Netaka fired at them again.

Anakin swung his blade smoothly, catching the first blast and sending it toward the same thick decking to which he had directed the other; he caught the second as well, and cringed as he saw it fly back toward the front of the ship toward the cockpit.

The ship lurched hard as the onboard computers cut the hyperdrive and fired the sub-light engines, as the errant laser blast struck the ship's navigational computer and destroyed it, sending a brilliant array of sparks through the cockpit. Anakin, Yoda, and Netaka were all pitched hard against the ship's bulkhead as the ship's inertial dampers kicked in, attempting to slow their drop out of hyperspace.

Anakin saw Netaka struggle to regain his footing, as he tried to lower his weapon toward them again. He turned and watched, as he saw Yoda leap to his feet and take a quick step forward, and then stretch out his hand toward their clone pilot.

Netaka's weapon was instantly stripped from his hand, and then flew across the ship into Yoda's small, but nimble hands. Yoda turned and tossed the weapon behind him, and then turned to face the Captain again, just as Netaka cried out angrily and ran toward them.

Yoda stretched out his hand again, and Anakin watched as the clone captain was suddenly lifted off his feet and thrown hard into the ship's bulkhead. Netaka cried out in pain as he contacted the hard, unyielding surface, and then collapsed limply to the cabin floor as Yoda released him.

Anakin stood quietly for a moment, and then extinguished the blade of his weapon and returned it to his belt as he and Yoda walked to Netaka's side and looked down at their unconscious pilot.

"What's going on, Master?" Anakin said, as he turned and looked at Yoda, a look of utter disbelief on his face. "Why would he suddenly try to attack us like that?"

"Tried to kill us, the captain did," Yoda said, as he looked back up at Anakin, his face deeply troubled. "Sensed the Dark Side in him, I did, as he attacked us."

Anakin ran his hand through his hair as he looked at Netaka. "None of this makes any sense," he sighed, and then he turned and walked quickly to the cockpit and took a seat in the pilot's chair.

Anakin turned his attention to the navigational computer, reaching over and pulling away the damaged cover as Yoda came and stood beside him. "Get to Coruscant, as quickly as possible, we must," Yoda said, as he watched Anakin examine the damaged guidance system. "Repair the damage, can you?"

"I think so, Master," Anakin sighed, as he glanced around the cockpit quickly. "I can probably use some of the parts from the ship's other systems."

"How long will it take, do you think?" Yoda asked, as Anakin ran his hand through his hair again, a frustrated look on his usually calm face.

"I don't know, Master," Anakin said, shrugging his shoulders. "An hour, maybe a little longer."

Yoda nodded his head, as Anakin looked back up at him. "Suffice, it will have to," he said, as he turned and walked back to the passenger compartment. "Secure our attacker, I will, while you make repairs."

Anakin nodded his head, as he stood up and walked to the tool compartment just behind the cockpit. He opened the small door and took out the toolkit, and then turned and went to work on the damaged navigational computer, working as fast as his exceptionally skilled hands would allow.

* * *

Obi-Wan reached down to his belt quickly, as he heard the sharp, high pitched tone begin to echo off the stone walls inside the tunnel where he stood.

"You had to ask, didn't you?" he sighed, as he pulled the small tracking device from its place on his belt and looked at it carefully. "You just had to ask what else could go wrong today," he said, and then his expression grew puzzled as he watched the short message scroll by on the tracking device.

Obi-Wan pressed the button on the side of the small device, silencing it as he returned it to his belt, and then looked back out around the edge of the tunnel's entrance as he heard the familiar sound of his ship's engines approaching.

"Come on, Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he lifted the glowing blue blade of the saber in his hand up close beside him as he watched his ship cast up a huge swirl of reddish-brown dust as it topped the crater's edge and dropped quickly down to the base toward him. "Just like we planned," he said, as he squeezed his weapon tightly as he watched the clone troopers begin to open fire on his approaching ship.

Arfour brought the ship in fast, directly toward the open ground in front of Obi-Wan; the little droid spun the ship sideways as he fired the breaking thrusters and dropped the landing gear, kicking a huge cloud of dust into the air as he dropped the ship quickly toward the ground below him.

"Ataboy, Arfour," Obi-Wan grinned, as he watched the thick cloud of dust fill the air between him and his attackers. He watched for another second or two, as the blasts of the laser rifles streaked blindly through the thick cloud of dust, as the clone troopers began to run through the haze toward his ship. Obi-Wan looked up at his ship; he could see the cockpit over the pilot's station slide open, as Arfour quickly dropped the ship onto its landing gear as the blasts from the trooper's weapons bounced wildly off of the ship's deflectors.

Obi-Wan bolted out of the opening toward his ship, as fast as the Force would allow, swinging his weapon smoothly as he deflected the laser blasts as the troopers opened fire on him. He ran straight toward the ship through the thick haze of bronze dust, his weapon returning the laser blasts that managed to reach him back to his attackers with deadly accuracy.

He was only about twenty yards from his ship when he heard the loud, angry cry off to his left; he turned, just in time to see Commander Cody running toward him, his blaster leveled directly at him as he approached. _Not him, not now,_Obi-Wan thought, as he swung his weapon up as his friend opened fire on him as he ran toward him.

Obi-Wan and Cody had served together on many missions; indeed, he had grown to trust the exceptionally brave, eager clone commander as a friend over the last four years. Obi-Wan stopped, for an instant, his boots sliding through the dust as he swung his blade up and turned three of Cody's blasts harmlessly aside into the dust in front of him as he charged directly at him.

"Don't make me do this, Cody," Obi-Wan shouted, pleading with his friend, as he watched Cody run toward him at full speed. "Please don't make me do this."

Commander Cody never paused, not even for a moment; Obi-Wan swung his blade quickly, turning the blasts aside, as Cody approached him, screaming angrily, his weapon firing as fast as he could.

Obi-Wan felt his heart begin to sink, as he turned the last two blasts from his friend's weapon aside as Cody reached him; he spun quickly, closing his eyes, as he allowed the Force to guide his weapon as he swung it around cleanly into Commander Cody's chest.

Obi-Wan spun around completely before he allowed himself to open his eyes. He had done what he had too, he knew that; yet his heart cried out in sorrow and anger, and he took several quick breaths as the cold realization of what he had been forced to do finally sunk in.

He never looked back at Cody's body; he bolted toward his ship, swinging his weapon furiously, turning blast after blast aside, as he quickly closed the distance to the ship. He reached deeply into the Force and lept into the air and onto the wing of his ship, his weapon glowing brightly at his side as he jumped into the pilot's seat.

"Arfour, go!" Obi-Wan shouted, as he deflected several more blasts away from the ship's cockpit as the little droid fired the engines, kicking up another huge cloud of red dust below them as they lifted into the air.

Obi-Wan extinguished the blade of his saber, as he reached over and pressed the button on the console beside him. He looked down below him, as the cockpit slid quickly closed, at the wild array of laser fire that surged through the thick cloud of dust as Arfour fired the main engines.

He felt the ship jump several times, as the last few blasts bounced off the deflector shields as they blasted quickly up the sloping surface of the crater, trailing a huge cloud of red dust that spiraled into the air behind them as they surged up into the sky and toward the planet's atmosphere.

Obi-Wan looked down at the saber in his trembling hand, as Arfour powered up the ship's sub light engines and pushed them toward the upper atmosphere. "Arfour," Obi-Wan said, his voice trembling as he spoke quietly, "Get us back to Coruscant, as quickly as possible. Understand?"

Arfour whistled and beeped affirmatively, as Obi-Wan slowly turned the weapon over in his still trembling hand. "And see if you can contact Anakin and Master Yoda," he said, quietly. "They should be on their way back there, too."

Arfour whistled again, and Obi-Wan sat quietly for a long time, looking at the light saber in his hand as he turned it over, slowly, again and again. _It's not right, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, looking at the weapon in his hand, as he sensed another dark tremor travel through the living Force; _None of this, none of it, was supposed to have happened._

This weapon had belonged to a friend, a very young friend, who never should have died. Obi-Wan had taken it from his young friend's killer, an abomination who never should have been created, who served a master who never should have existed. And he had used it, only moments before, to kill another friend, one more death that never should have happened.

Now, he found himself traveling back to Coruscant, to face a dark evil stronger than anything he ever could have imagined; and he would do so alongside Anakin, the closest friend he had ever known, a friend who had left everything he had ever loved and held dear to help him face a menace that they should never have had to face.

"Damn!" Obi-Wan shouted suddenly, as he reached back and threw the weapon down into the floor of the cockpit at his feet. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and then looked at the display of his console as Arfour unleashed a long series of beeps and whistles.

"Yes, Arfour," Obi-Wan sighed, deeply, "I'm all right. I'm just a little upset right now, that's all," he said, as he lowered his head and rubbed his eyes for a long moment.

"Do me a favor, Arfour," Obi-Wan said, as he looked up slowly at the cockpit window in front of him. "Do whatever you have to, but get Anakin on that comlink, as fast as you can," he said. "I really need to talk to him."

Arfour whistled in reply, and Obi-Wan watched as the little droid's answer scrolled across the display in front of him. "Thank you, Arfour," he said, and he leaned back in his seat and watched as the dark gold sky turned black again, as Arfour pushed them through the atmosphere and back into open space. He sighed deeply, and then closed his eyes, as Arfour prepared their ship for the jump to light speed.

* * *

Bail Organa looked up from his seat on his Senate pod, as Mas Amedda stood up from his seat beside Chancellor Palapatine as the Chancellor's pod slowly approached the central speaker's position in the massive Senate Rotunda.

The excited, nervous chatter that echoed through the Rotunda began to die down quickly, as Amedda approached the podium on their pod and raised his hands. "Honorable delegates and representatives of the Senate," Amedda said, his deep, resonate voice echoing loudly through the massive hall, "This emergency session of the Republic Senate will now come to order."

Bail folded his hands on top of the data-pad that lay in his lap, as he watched the Chancellor rise from his seat as Amedda spoke. "May I present His Excellency, the Honorable Supreme Chancellor of the Republic."

Bail looked around, yet sat quietly as he watched the other representatives of the Senate burst forth in thunderous applause, as Chancellor Palpatine approached the speaker's podium of his pod. He looked back up, after a moment, and watched as the Chancellor raised his hand, and the chamber began to fall silent again.

"My distinguished delegates and representatives of the Senate," Palpatine said, lowering his hand to the podium beside him, "It is with an extremely heavy heart that I have reluctantly called this emergency session this evening."

Bail's expression grew more serious as he listened intently as the Chancellor continued. "A turning point has been reached in the affairs of the Republic," Palpatine said, as an unusual silence filled the massive chamber. "This is indeed a dark and troubling moment, and I must beg your indulgence as I bring this deeply disturbing news to your attention."

"Earlier this evening," the Chancellor said, his own expression growing deeply troubled as he spoke, "Five senior members of the Jedi Council forced their way into my chambers atop the Republic Senate building..."

The Chancellor paused, as he took a deep breath, then continued. "…and attempted to assassinate me."

Bail looked at the Chancellor in utter disbelief, as the Rotunda suddenly filled with loud, angry, shouting voices. "Order!" Mas Amedda shouted, rising to his feet from his seat beside the Chancellor and approaching the podium. "We shall have order in the Senate immediately," he shouted, as the chamber began to fall silent again. "All delegates and representatives will afford the Supreme Chancellor their silence and attention while he addresses this deeply sensitive situation."

Palpatine turned and nodded gratefully to Mas Amedda; Amedda bowed reverently to him, and then went to take his seat again as the Rotunda fell into a hushed silence.

"During the time that I was held captive by the Separatists," Palpatine said, placing his hands on the podium as he continued, "I was able to uncover troubling information regarding the Council's involvement in several events, events which have directly contributed to the unrest that we are now forced to endure."

"Specifically," he continued, "It has been discovered that the Jedi were directly responsible for the commissioning and creation of the clone army that now serves the Republic."

Bail and the other delegates listened in disbelief as the Chancellor continued. "Furthermore," Palpatine said, "It was determined that this clone army was commissioned many years ago, long before hostilities with the Separatists ever developed."

"In addition," Palpatine said, "It has been discovered that the Separatist armies have been, for some time, under the coordination of Count Dooku, a highly respected member of the Jedi Council for many years, until his mysterious disappearance years ago."

"It is believed," the Chancellor said, "that Dooku has spent these many years in hiding, secretly working with the cloners on Kamino to develop this army while spurring the Separatist leaders toward the confrontation that ultimately resulted in the commencement of the Clone Wars."

"I recently brought these discoveries to the attention of the senior members of the Council," the Chancellor said, turning his deeply troubled face toward the podium before him. "It is that revelation, I believe, that has resulted in this assassination attempt on my life this evening."

Bail turned and looked to the pod directly across from him, as he recognized the familiar voice that suddenly echoed through the chamber. He watched, intently, as Jar Jar Binks stepped to the podium in front of him as the Chancellor turned his attention toward him.

"Exqueeze me, yousa Supreme Chancellor," Jar Jar said, wringing his hands nervously, "But deesa Jedi been da guardians of disa Republic for a longo time," he said, his ears flapping nervously as he spoke. "Meesa finden dis bombad hard to believe, dat da Jedi would beesen tryen to kill yousa Honors."

"I understand your skepticism, representative Binks," Chancellor Palpatine said, nodding his head as he looked at the tall, gangly Gungan, "and I'm quite sure that it is shared by every member present here this evening."

"But," he continued, "I would not have brought this accusation before the Senate if we did not have irrefutable proof of what has happened."

Chancellor Palpatine reached under his robe, and Bail Organa watched, along with the other delegates, in stunned disbelief, as the Chancellor produced a lightsaber and held it up at his side, as he looked slowly around the Rotunda.

"This is the weapon that Master Windu used this evening in the assassination attempt," Palpatine said, a look of great sadness on his face as he spoke. "It was retrieved this evening, shortly after my guards thwarted the attempt on my life."

Bail's mind drifted back to the conversation that he had had with Mace Windu only the day before; he had listened, in shock, as Mace had recounted to him what he and the Council suspected about the Chancellor.

He had never trusted Chancellor Palpatine, ever since he had been instated as Supreme Chancellor during the blockade of Naboo nearly fourteen years ago; yet even he had found it hard to believe what Mace had told him. Yet now, as he listened in disbelief to what he was hearing, he began to suspect that the Council could have been correct.

_It wasn't possible, _Bail thought to himself, as he considered the Chancellor's accusations. _There is no way that the Council would consider assassinating the Chancellor._

"Your Excellency," Bail said, rising to his feet and walking to the podium in front of his chair. "May I speak?"

Mas Amedda rose to his feet, and watched as the Chancellor nodded at him. "The chair recognizes the representative from the sovereign system of Alderaan," Mas Amedda said, turning his eyes toward Bail and nodding his head as the Chancellor turned his attention toward him.

"I do not wish to imply that the Supreme Chancellor has been anything other than completely truthful with the honorable members of the Senate assembled here this evening," Bail said, gesturing toward the members assembled around him in the great hall. "But I must agree with the honorable delegate from Naboo," Bail said, nodding his head toward Jar Jar's pod.

"The Jedi have served as the protectors of the Republic for well over a thousand years," he said, directing his attention to his fellow delegates. "It is inconceivable that they could have orchestrated such a sinister plan to damage the Republic that they have worked, for so long, to protect."

"I would ask that we call Master Windu and the other members of the Council to the Senate, immediately," Bail said, turning his attention back to the Chancellor, as he watched him intently from his podium at the speaker's station. "Bring them here, and let us hear their response to these accusations."

"I wish that were possible, Senator Organa," Chancellor Palpatine said, his expression growing deeply sorrowful as he spoke. "But I am afraid that Master Windu, nor any of his associates, would hear the pleas of my guards during their attack this evening."

"I am afraid," the Chancellor said, as the Senate chamber fell into a hushed silence, "that they all chose to die rather than to end their assassination attempt."

Bail sat down slowly, and looked down at the floor of his pod in stunned disbelief. _Master Windu, and the senior members of the Council, dead? _It couldn't be, he thought, as he looked back up and watched as the Chancellor laid Windu's weapon down on the podium before him. He had seen the Chancellor's guards on many occasions; they would have been no match for any _one _of the Jedi who sat on the Council. To imply that the Chancellor's guard could have killed them all was simply unbelievable. Something else was going on here, something far more sinister than an assassination attempt.

"As I said earlier," the Chancellor continued, "it is with great sadness that we have reached a turning point in the affairs of the Republic."

"It is clear," Palpatine said, "in light of this evidence, and the attempt on my life this evening, that the Jedi have knowingly and purposefully drawn this once great and peaceful Republic into war," Palpatine said, "a war that was conceived by the Jedi and orchestrated with deadly precision by those in their own number."

"In light of these events," Chancellor Palpatine said, "it is with great sadness that I must declare that the Jedi are now, and have been for some time, enemies of this grand Republic."

Bail watched from his seat, a dark sense of despair slowly overtaking him, as the Senate Rotunda burst into loud shouts and discussion. He watched, as the Chancellor raised his hands again and spoke, his loud voice echoing through the Rotunda.

"I realize," Palpatine said, as the din that rang through the massive chamber began to die down, slowly, "the devastation that this revelation and declaration brings to all of us, on both a political and personal level," he said. "Many of us share deep friendships with many of those in the Jedi Order."

"Yet, I am afraid," Palpatine said, as the Senate fell quiet again, "that we must place the needs, and the security of this great Republic above any personal commitments that we may have."

"In light of the seriousness of this situation," Palpatine continued, as he looked around the Senate chamber slowly, "I am, effective immediately, by authority of the emergency power granted to me by the Senate, implementing Article thirty seven of the Republic Constitution and placing the Republic under the protection of martial law until this crisis has abated."

The Senate erupted into loud shouts again, and Bail leaned back in his chair as an empty, hollow feeling began to fill him, the same one that he had felt the day he had stood on the balcony with Palpatine and watched the first of the Republic's battle cruisers lift off and head to battle at the start of the Clone Wars. He looked back up at the Chancellor, as he watched him raise his hands again, trying to bring the shocked, distraught delegates back into some semblance of order.

"We have regained control of our clone forces from the Jedi," Palpatine said, as the delegates began to fall silent again as he spoke. "As soon as we have full control of this situation, I shall advise you all as to our progress and our plans."

"In the mean time," the Chancellor said, as he looked slowly around the massive chamber, "I would remind all of you that you are sworn to protect and serve this Republic against any and all enemies," he said, and then stood quietly for a moment.

"This is a difficult time for all of us," Palpatine said, after a long pause. "We must stand together, so that we may bring the Republic through this threat," he said. "I tell you, we will survive it," he said, "and we will see the return of peace and democracy as soon as this crisis is over."

Bail sat quietly, as he watched the Chancellor turn and take his seat as Mas Amedda stood and approached the podium. "This emergency session of the Senate is now dismissed," Amedda said, and then he took his seat as the Chancellor's pod turned and moved slowly back to its dock near the head of the chamber.

Bail stood up, slowly, and then turned and stepped off of his pod, making his way quickly down the stairs and toward the exit behind him.

His long cloak swirled around him, as he very nearly ran through the corridor and down the long, marble hallway. He reached into his pocket, and looked down at the small signal encrypter that Mace had given him during their conversation the night before.

It might be too late, now, Bail thought to himself, as he returned the small device to his pocket, and then opened the door at the end of the hallway and made his way to the transport pad above as quickly as he could.

Even if it was, he thought to himself, he had to try.


	10. Sisters and Secrets

_**Chapter 10: Sisters and Secrets**_

Sola walked into the cockpit of Anakin and Padmé's ship, balancing the small tray that she carried carefully in her hands; she turned a worried look toward her younger sister, and then sat the tray down carefully on the small table near the bench where Padmé sat.

They had been out here for several hours now, ever since that terrifying tremor had struck Padmé and left her trembling and crying in her mother's arms. Sola rubbed her arms for a moment, as a cool chill ran down her spine; Artoo had had some trouble with one of the cabin heaters, and he had started to repair it, but Padmé had told him to concentrate on contacting Anakin, and the little droid had, as always, obeyed his mistress to the letter.

Padmé sat quietly on the long padded bench, the blanket she had brought with her to the ship pulled up over her shoulders, as she turned her deeply worried face back toward her older sister as she sat huddled in the corner near the bulkhead.

"Anything yet?" Sola asked, as she picked up one of the cups of hot tea that she had brought with her from the house and sat down on the bench next to Padmé. She placed the cup in her lap, and then reached over and rubbed Padmé's shoulder gently as her sister closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.

"No," Padmé said softly, as she opened her eyes again. "Not yet," she said, turning her gaze to the little droid that worked diligently at the communications station. "But Artoo's still trying."

"Here," Sola said, as she handed the cup that she held in her lap to Padmé. "I brought you some hot tea," she said, as Padmé sat up straighter on the bench and reached out from beneath her blanket and took the steaming cup from her. "It's cool out here, and it'll help keep you warm," Sola said, managing a weak smile.

"Thank you, Sola," Padmé said, managing a somewhat troubled smile herself, and then she turned and looked back at Artoo as she blew softly across the top of the steaming cup for just a moment, and then took a long, careful sip of the hot beverage.

"I'm sure that we'll hear from him soon," Sola said, as she leaned over and took the other cup from the tray, and then leaned back against the bench as Padmé turned and looked at her again.

"I know," Padmé said softly, nodding her head, as Sola took a sip from her own cup. "I know he's okay," she said, as Sola looked back at her thoughtfully.

Sola could see the deeply worried look in Padmé's eyes as she spoke. "I mean, I know he's there, because I can still feel him," Padmé said, softly. "I just wish I could talk to him, and find out what's happened."

Sola reached over and placed her hand on Padmé's shoulder. "I know," she said, squeezing Padmé's shoulder reassuringly. "And we will soon, I'm sure," Sola said, and she watched as Padmé nodded her head slowly, and then looked back toward Artoo.

"I hope so," Padmé said quietly; she took another long sip from the steaming cup in her hands as she watched Artoo work quietly at the communications console. "I just need to hear his voice."

Sola took another sip of her own tea, as Padmé sat quietly, holding her cup in her hands as she watched Artoo work; she was truly worried about her baby sister, and her brother-in-law, more so than she had been since Anakin had left home.

"What does it feel like, Padmé?" Sola asked quietly, leaning against the thickly padded bench as she looked at her younger sister with a thoughtful smile. "I mean, I know that the two of you can sense each other," Sola said, as Padmé turned her eyes toward her, as she lifted the cup in her hands to her lips again.

"I've always loved watching you both play that game when he comes home," Sola said, quietly, "and it amazes me every time you can tell that he's near, like the other day when he came home with Master Obi-Wan."

"But what does it really feel like, to you," Sola smiled, "to be able to feel him like that, all the time?"

Padmé smiled, as she looked down for a moment and took a long, thoughtful breath. "It's hard to explain, Sola," she said, as she looked back up at her older sister.

"Well, try," Sola nodded, as she leaned forward and rested her head on her hand, watching Padmé with great interest; she truly wanted to know, and she had always wanted to ask. Now seemed like a perfect time, and she knew in her heart that it would help to brighten Padmé's spirits, help shift her attention away from the long, arduous task of waiting.

"I'd really, really love to know," Sola said quietly, nodding her head and grinning at her slyly. "If you don't mind telling me."

Padmé's smile widened, and she laughed softly as she saw the familiar look on her sister's face. She was well acquainted with that keenly interested smile; Sola had always taken great delight in prying into her romantic life, ever since they were younger. For the most part, Padmé enjoyed keeping her guessing, but there were times, like this one, when she welcomed her older sister's curiosity.

"Well," Padmé said, as she took another deep breath and sighed, deeply, as she turned and leaned back against the bulkhead; she drew her knees up in front of her, as closely as her round stomach would allow, and pulled her blanket down, covering her feet as she spoke. "Do you remember the first time that Darred ever told you that he loved you?"

"Yes," Sola replied, nodding her head slowly.

"Do you remember what you felt like, right after he told you?" Padmé asked softly, looking at her cup thoughtfully as she held it in her hands, resting it on her knees. "You know, that warm, fluttery feeling in your heart that you felt the first time he kissed you, when you realized that you really loved him too?"

"Uh, huh," Sola said, her smile brightening as she watched her younger sister with keen interest.

"Well, that's kind of what it feels like," Padmé said softly, nodding her head. "Only it never goes away, not even for a little while," she said, as she leaned her head over and rested it on the padded bulkhead where she sat. "It's always there, even when he's not."

"Wow," Sola sighed, a bright smile on her face. "I mean, really," Sola laughed, softly, as she fanned her face playfully with her hand and took a deep breath, "Wow."

Padmé laughed softly, as she saw her sister blink her misty eyes several times, and then take another sip of her tea. "I know," she said, smiling brightly as Sola looked back at her from her cup. "It does the same thing to me sometimes, too," Padmé sighed, and she paused and took another long sip of her tea. "And that's the best word I've found to describe it, too."

"I bet you use that word to describe a lot of other things, too," Sola chuckled, grinning slyly over the rim of her cup as she lifted it to her lips again.

Padmé looked down, following her sister's gaze to her distended little belly; she smiled, and rubbed her stomach gently as she looked back up at Sola. "Possibly," Padmé laughed, as Sola looked back up from her tea and laughed back at her. "Why, is it that obvious?"

"Oh, please," Sola chuckled, placing her cup in her lap and looking back at her sister with a grin. "You'd have to be deaf and blind not to know, the way you two cling to each other all the time," she laughed, as she watched Padmé laugh and blush, slightly, as she lifted her tea to her lips and blew across it again, the steam from the hot beverage rolling gently in front of her rosy cheeks for a second or two, and then disappearing into the cool cabin air.

"And I think it's absolutely wonderful," Sola sighed, smiling warmly back at Padmé. "You both keep on clinging to each other as tightly as you can, baby sister," she said. "I hope it never, ever changes."

"That must be so amazing," Sola said after a moment, leaning forward a bit and looking at Padmé with an awestruck smile, "to be able to feel that all the time. Have you always been able to feel him like that?"

"No," Padmé said, shaking her head thoughtfully. "I mean, I remember the first time that I realized that I had fallen in love with him, and I've known how much ever since," she said, "but it wasn't until that day on Geonosis that I was actually able to feel him."

"That was when he saved Obi-Wan from Count Doofoo, right?" Sola asked, nodding her head as she listened to her sister intently.

Padmé burst our laughing, and Sola looked at her with a puzzled grin. "What?" Sola asked with a puzzled laugh, "What did I say?"

"_Dooku,_" Padmé exclaimed, as she held her stomach as she laughed, harder than she had since that night that Anakin told her about slapping the medical droid that had tried to help him.

It was an honest mistake, but Sola didn't care; it warmed her heart to see Padmé laugh again, and she laughed along with her, even if it was at her own expense. "Juju, Dooku, whatever," Sola laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "That horrible, old gray-haired man with the red lightsaber you told me about, right?"

"That's him," Padmé laughed, as she reached up and wiped the tear away that stood in the corner of her eye. "And yes, you're right," she said, as their laughter subsided, slowly, "that was when it happened."

"What happened, Padmé?" Sola asked, resting her head on her hand again, as Padmé smiled back at her. "I mean, I remember what you told me about what actually _happened," _Sola said, "but what was it that happened between you and Anakin that day?"

"I don't really know, Sola," Padmé smiled, as she shook her head, slowly. "I can remember the exact moment that it happened, and exactly what it felt like," she said, "but I can't tell you exactly what it was."

Padmé looked up, thoughtfully, and she closed her left eye, like she was trying to remember something elusive and difficult. "Master Yoda says that it was something he calls a _Force centered convergence,_" Padmé said, looking back at Sola with a skeptical smirk. "You know how the Council is," she said, shaking her head. "They have to have a name and an explanation for everything."

"He can call it whatever he wants," Sola smiled. "I call it love, plain and simple."

"Me too," Padmé said, as she smiled brightly back at her sister, and then sat quietly for a moment. "It was like, suddenly, our hearts just merged," Padmé said softly, shaking her head slowly. "It was like he was suddenly part of me, and I was part of him. It was the most amazing thing that's ever happened to either of us."

Sola sighed softly as she listened to Padmé share their amazing experience with her, as best she could. "That night when we were on the ship, heading back to Coruscant," Padmé said, as she looked at her sister thoughtfully, "we felt it again."

Padmé looked down and smiled, as she reached down from her cup and rubbed her hand gently on the bench where she sat. "He was holding me, right here, on this bench," Padmé said softly, as she looked up to Sola again. "I was thinking about how amazing it was, what I was feeling," she said, as she looked back down to the bench with a thoughtfully again.

"I could literally _feel _how much he loved me, Sola," Padmé said, turning her eyes back to her sister's attentive face, "just like love was something you could actually touch and hold."

"And it wasn't long after we'd come home," Padmé continued, "that we started noticing that I was able to sense other things, too."

"Like the day that you knew that Ryoo had fallen, down by the river, and broken his arm?" Sola asked, nodding her head slowly.

"Uh, huh," Padmé said, nodding her head. "I have to admit," she said, taking a deep breath for a moment, "it scared me a little, at first, when I started feeling things like that."

"I imagine so," Sola nodded. "It would've scared me, for sure. That was when you and Anakin went to talk to Master Yoda about it, right?"

"Yes," Padmé said, nodding her head again. "That was when Anakin talked Master Yoda into secretly giving me 'the test'," she said with a grin.

"Test?" Sola asked, cocking her head inquisitively. "What test? You never told me about any test."

"I was afraid it might have freaked Mom and Dad out a little," Padmé said, shrugging her shoulders slightly, "if they'd found out about it."

"So what was the test about?" Sola asked, her expression growing more inquisitive by the moment. "Come on," she grinned, placing her cup down on the bench in front of her and waving her hands frantically. "You can't leave me hanging now," she said, as Padmé laughed at her as she bounced frantically as she waved her arms even faster. "Come on, tell me," Sola said. "I promise I won't say a word to Mom and Dad."

"Okay, okay," Padmé laughed, and then she paused for a moment and took another sip; she smiled, as she looked up at her sister over the rim of the cup. She and Sola hadn't talked like this in a long time, and she really didn't understand why they didn't more often, as she was enjoying it as much as Sola was.

"Anakin was convinced," Padmé said, leaning back against the bulkhead behind her, holding her cup gently in her hands, "that I was Force sensitive," she said, as Sola listened to her intently. "He wanted to find out for sure, so he took me with him on one of his trips to Coruscant to meet with the Council, and he told Master Yoda about the things that I'd been able to sense."

"They normally don't give the Force sensitivity test to anyone older than two or three years old," Padmé said. "It's the test that they give to decide if someone is capable of sensing the Force strongly enough to become a Jedi." She paused, and took another sip of her tea. "Anakin didn't take it until he was nine, and that was highly unusual," Padmé said, as she looked back at Sola. "The only reason that they let him take it then was because Master Qui-Gonn specifically requested it."

"Anyway," Padmé sighed, "There's no way that the Council would have given the test to someone as old as I was," she said, "but Master Yoda was as curious as Anakin was about what I was sensing, so he agreed to give me the test himself, _without_ the Council's knowledge."

"There were two parts to the test," Padmé continued. "The first one was a blood test, where they took a sample of my blood and checked something called my midichlorian count."

"Midi-whatians?" Sola asked with a laugh and a puzzled smile.

"Midichlorians," Padmé laughed in reply. "According to the Master Yoda, the higher your midichlorian count, the more strongly you're able to sense and use the Force."

"And the Force is what gives a Jedi their powers," Sola said, nodding her head as Padmé grinned back at her.

"Right," Padmé nodded. "Well, my midichlorian count is four thousand, seven hundred," she said, "according to the blood test that Master Yoda gave me."

"Wow," Sola replied. "That sounds really high."

"Well," Padmé sighed, "it's higher than most of the population, according to Master Yoda," she said, "but in order to be considered strong enough to be trained as a Jedi, you must have a midichlorian count of seven thousand or more."

"Oh," Sola said, looking back at Padmé with a sense of amazement and keen interest. "So do most Jedi really have counts that high?"

"Yes. And I think that's sort of an average, but they're all different, just like we're all individuals. Master Yoda shared some numbers with me so that I could understand what he was trying to tell me," Padmé replied, as she reached down and tucked her blanket in around her. "Master Obi-Wan has a count of thirteen thousand, four hundred," she said, and she smiled as she saw the look of amazement on Sola's face.

"Whoa," Sola said, her mouth dropping open in amazement. "That's incredible. So, he would be stronger than most, then?"

"Yes, but if you think that's incredible," Padmé said, as she lowered her head and smiled slyly at her sister. "Master Yoda's midichlorian count is seventeen thousand, seven hundred."

"Oh, my gosh," Sola gasped, shaking her head in wide-eyed amazement. "I guess it wouldn't be very smart to judge him by his size, would it?"

"No, no it wouldn't," Padmé laughed, shaking her head as she grinned back at her sister; she could tell that she was absolutely amazed and fascinated by their discussion.

"I had no idea you knew so much about the Jedi," Sola said, shaking her head. "But I guess I really shouldn't be," she laughed, as Padmé smiled back at her. "I mean, you _are_ married to one, after all."

"So," Sola said, waving her hands again, "What happened after you found out about your midi, whatever, count?"

"Well," Padmé said, "Like I said, Master Yoda said that mine was higher than most, but he told me that it wasn't high enough for me, at my age, to be sensing the kinds of things that I was."

"He said that, in order for me to be able to sense something, say, like Ryoo getting hurt," Padmé said, as she looked at Sola thoughtfully, "and to do it without any training at all, I'd need a midichlorian count almost as high as Obi-Wan's."

"He said that he thought that I was somehow picking up on things that Anakin was sensing," Padmé said, as she nodded her head slowly as she spoke. "And to be honest, that made more sense to me than anything. I mean, it seemed perfectly reasonable to me that, if I can sense Anakin's feelings so clearly," she said, "that it shouldn't be a big deal for me to be able to feel something that he senses through the Force."

"So," Padmé sighed, pausing and taking another sip of her tea, "Master Yoda gave me the second part of the test, and he sent Anakin out of the room so that I'd have to take it on my own to make sure that I wasn't just picking up on what he was sensing."

"What was the second part of the test?" Sola asked, as deeply curious as ever.

"It was an image association test," Padmé smiled, as she watched Sola pick up her cup and hold it while she listened to her attentively. "Yoda had a small display pad in his hand, and it flashed different pictures and images on the display so that he could see them, and I couldn't."

"The idea of the test is," Padmé said, "is that, if you're truly Force sensitive, you can sense what the other person is seeing and see the images in your own mind."

"And since you have a midi, whatever, count that's under seven thousand," Sola said, nodding her head, as she lifted her cup closer to her lips, "Yoda naturally assumed that you wouldn't do too well on this test, unless Anakin was in the room with you."

"That's right," Padmé smiled, as she watched Sola take a sip of her tea. "And to be honest with you, I wasn't expecting to get any of them right."

"So," Sola asked, as she lowered her cup and looked at Padmé with keen interest, "How many pictures were there, and how'd you do?"

"There were twenty of them," Padmé said, as she raised her cup up to her lips again and took a small sip. "They cycled one every ten seconds, and they never tell you when they change."

Padmé turned and looked at Sola with a grin and sat silently for a few moments, as she watched her sister look at her, bouncing her head slowly. "Well?" Sola asked finally, with a wide, curious grin. "How'd you do?"

"I got them all right," Padmé said; she smiled widely as Sola started to laugh.

"You're kidding!" Sola exclaimed, shocked. "All of them?"

"Every one," Padmé nodded, laughing. "I even got the last two, though I had no idea what they were," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I just told him what they looked like."

"Well, what does that mean, Padmé?" Sola asked, her expression growing deeply curious, and a bit more serious. "How could you do that, if Yoda said that your count wasn't high enough?"

"I don't know," Padmé said, shrugging her shoulders again. "And neither does Master Yoda," she said. "He said I would have needed a midichlorian count of over ten thousand to get all of those right the first time. He was just as amazed as I was."

"You should be proud to know," Padmé said, sitting up straight and smiling proudly, "that your baby sister is one of the most perplexing conundrums that the oldest member of the Jedi Council has ever encountered. And Master Yoda has the only copy of the test results in his personal library to prove it."

"Well, why am I not surprised," Sola laughed, shaking her head as she smiled as broadly as her sister. "So," she said, looking at Padmé with keen interest again, "did Yoda ever tell you how or why you're able to sense these things? That was some time ago, did he ever figure it out?"

"No," Padmé said, shaking her head, "but Anakin did."

"Anakin?" Sola asked, looking at Padmé again with yet another puzzled smile.

"Mm,hmm," Padmé nodded, as she took the last sip of tea from her cup, and then handed it to Sola, and watched as her sister placed it on the table beside her.

"It was right after we got back home, a few days after the test," Padmé said softly, as she leaned back and looked at her sister thoughtfully. "We were in bed that night, and he was holding me in his arms," she said, "and we had, uhh, just, uhhm…"

Padmé paused for a moment, and Sola laughed as she saw her cheeks flush a rosy pink. "Uh, huh," Sola laughed, nodding her head. "Gotcha. You'll have to tell me more details about that a little later, for sure," she said, "but I want to know what he told you about the test."

Padmé laughed, softly, for a moment, and then she continued, looking back toward Artoo as he sat quietly at the communications station across from them. "Anakin told me that he believes that when we, joined, or bonded, or whatever you want to call it, that day in Dooku's hangar," she said, "that we both took on a little of each other when our hearts joined that day."

Sola smiled, and took a long, deep breath as she listened to her sister share her deepest, most personal thoughts with her. "Anakin told me that he believes that I gave him the ability to love unconditionally, to be patient, understanding, and forgiving, and to be content and happy in a way that he'd never known before," Padmé said with a smile, as she looked back at her sister.

Sola could see Padmé's eyes glistening as she smiled back at her. "And what did he give you, Padmé?" Sola asked quietly.

"I think he gave me some of his incredible strength, and his courage," Padmé said softly. "His passion and dedication for the things that he loves, and his ability to trust people," she said. "Especially the ones that we love."

"All of those years in public service and the Senate had made it almost impossible for me to trust anyone," Padmé said, looking back at Sola, her expression growing more serious, as she reached up and wiped away the small tear that stood in the corner of her eye. "It wasn't until Anakin came along," she sighed, "that I learned how to do that again."

"And," Padmé smiled, as she took a deep breath and sighed thoughtfully, "I guess that I agree with him, that I may have picked up some of his Force abilities, as well."

Sola looked at Padmé for a long moment. "I believe," Sola said, as she reached up and gently wiped away the tear that stood in her own eye, "that your husband is a very wise, loving, and wonderful man."

"And I believe," Padmé said with a broad smile, "that I'll have to agree with your very wise assessment of him."

Sola laughed, and then she looked at Padmé with a curious expression again. "By the way," she said, "you never told me what Anakin's midi, chlorid…"

"Midichlorian," Padmé corrected with a laugh, as she watched Sola struggle to pronounce this new word in her vocabulary.

"Midichlorian," Sola said, nodding her head. "You never told me what Anakin's was," she said. "Don't tell me you don't know."

"Oh, I know," Padmé said, nodding her head with a grin.

"Well?" Sola asked, holding her hands out inquisitively in front of her.

"Twenty seven thousand, seven hundred," Padmé said, and she smiled broadly as she watched Sola's jaw drop in amazement. "The highest count ever recorded for any Jedi," Padmé said, with more than just a little hint of pride in her voice as she spoke, "at any time, since the Order was founded thousands of years ago."

Padmé laughed, as she watched her sister sit in complete, stunned silence for several moments. "I bet you'll look at him a little differently the next time he's sitting across the dinner table from you," she said, a wide, sly grin on her face.

"Dinner?" Sola said, looking at Padmé with a stunned smile, as she started to laugh. "I can't believe I pick on him the way I do," she said, as she held her hand to her mouth and laughed with amazement.

"He's still Anakin, Sola," Padmé laughed, as she reached over and took her sister's hand and squeezed it gently. "The same Anakin that loves it when you pick on him the way you do," she grinned. "You just know some of the things that I've known about him for a long time, now," Padmé nodded. "Some of the things that make him so special."

Sola smiled back at Padmé, as she squeezed her hand in reply. "Thank you, Padmé," she said, softly. "Thank you for sharing all of that with me. It makes me feel very special."

"You _are_ very special, Sola," Padmé said, softly. "You're the only person that I've ever shared any of this with," she said, and then she looked at her fondly for a long moment. "I don't know how I'd be getting through all of this without you."

Sola smiled back at her, and then they both turned and looked to the communications station, as Artoo swung his dome toward them and let fly with a long series of beeps and whistles.

"What is it, Artoo?" Padmé asked, as she sat up quickly, tossing her blanket onto the bench beside her, as she and Sola both stood up and walked quickly to the communications station where the little droid stood.

"Has he been able to get in touch with Anakin?" Sola asked, as she watched Padmé activate the display in front of them and engage the translator.

Padmé's expression grew more serious, as she shook her head slowly, as Artoo's message scrolled across the bright screen in front of them. "No," she said, "he's still searching for him. But he's picked up an incoming transmission from someone else."

"Is the signal encrypted, Artoo?" Padmé asked, as she turned and looked at her little astrodroid with a curious expression.

Padmé looked back at the display in front of her as Artoo's long burst of electronic tones scrolled through the translator a moment later. "It's encrypted," Padmé said, her expression growing even more puzzled. "Using the Order's encryption key."

"Who's calling?" Sola asked, as Padmé stood up slowly and turned to look at her, the expression on her own face even more puzzled than her older sister's.

"Senator Bail Organa," Padmé said, and the two of them turned and looked back at Artoo, as he spun the wheels on the communications station quickly, as he prepared to lock in the transmitter and transfer the signal to the holopad in the cockpit.


	11. Shadows of the Past

_**Chapter 11: Shadows Of The Past**_

Padmé sat down on the bench beside Sola, just as Artoo dimmed the cabin lights and the blue-green image flickered and materialized over the holopad on the small table in front of them. She watched, her expression both concerned and puzzled, as Senator Bail Organa's image looked back at the both of them.

_"It warms my heart, indeed,"_ the dark-haired, ruddy-complexioned senator said, his somber countenance growing more relaxed for a moment as he smiled at Padmé, "_to see that some things in this ever-changing universe remain the same."_

"What's that, Senator?" Padmé asked, returning his polite smile as she looked back at him, curiously.

_"That even the most disturbing and troubling circumstances,"_ Bail sighed, "_become at least somewhat bearable just by the appearance of your lovely face."_

Sola turned and watched Padmé as she spoke. "Thank you very much, Senator," Padmé said with a gracious smile. "It's very kind of you to say that."

"_It's wonderful to see you again, Padmé,_" Bail said, a kind smile on his face. "_Your calming presence has been greatly missed in the Senate the last few years,"_ he said.

"_And I must apologize for the unexpected nature of this call,"_ Bail said, nodding his head as his expression grew more serious, "_but, to be honest, you were the only person that I could turn to at this moment,"_ he said, "_and the only one that I knew that I could find."_

Padmé glanced back toward her sister for just a moment, and then turned her puzzled, concerned expression back toward Bail's image. "I'll be happy to help you in any way I can, Senator," she said, nodding her head and leaning a bit closer to his image on the display. "But I must admit," Padmé said, "your transmission came as something of a surprise to us, especially considering the encryption key you're using."

Sola smiled, as she listened to Padmé's calm, strong voice as she spoke; she had always been amazed at her younger sister's skills in situations like this. Padmé's years of experience, both as queen and as a Senator to the Republic, had given her an ability to deal with unknown situations that few could ever hope to attain; Sola wouldn't even have begun to know how to address a senator, much less question one, and she watched with a growing sense of pride as she listened to her sister immediately take control of the conversation.

"I'm sure you'll agree, Senator," Padmé said, turning her head and looking at him inquisitively, "that it's a bit strange to see a communications signal from a Republic senator arrive via one of the Order's keys," she said, and then she looked down and tapped the control pad on the table in front of her, and watched as the key's authentication information appeared on the small display.

"Specifically," Padmé said, looking back up at him curiously, "a key assigned to Jedi Master Windu."

_"I see that a few years away from the Senate Rotunda have only served to sharpen your skills and intuition, Padmé,"_ Bail said with a nod. "_And yes, you are correct,_" he said, his expression growing more concerned. "_This is highly unusual, but you must believe me when I say that the urgency of this situation demands it."_

Padmé nodded her head, slowly, as she heard the urgent tone in Bail's voice; he was one of the few senators she had served with that she had truly considered her friend. Indeed, Bail was one of the few people outside of the Jedi Order, or their family, that knew of Anakin's promotion to Jedi Knight, and that he was still a member of the Order. He had never given her any reason not to trust him, and, for whatever reason, something inside her told her that she had no reason to doubt that trust now.

"I understand, Senator," Padmé said, nodding her head again. "You'll forgive me, if I seem a bit over inquisitive in regards to the encryption key you're using," she said, and then she paused for a moment. "You'll indulge me, I hope," Padmé said with a gentle smile, "that with everything that's going on, I'm a little over protective of my husband, and those he serves with."

"_No indulgence or forgiveness is necessary, Padmé,"_ Bail said, nodding his head as his image flashed for a second, and then stabilized again. _"In these dire times,"_ he said, with a long, somber sigh, "_I'm afraid that none of us can be too careful."_

What's going on, Bail?" Padmé asked, as she looked at his image intently; she could sense the deep concern in his voice, and see it in his worried face.

_"It's your husband that I was hoping to speak with,"_ Bail said, his brow furrowing as he took a long, deep breath. "_Have you heard from him recently?"_

Sola looked at Padmé, as she paused for a moment, and then shook her head, slowly. "Not in the last few hours," Padmé said, her countenance growing more concerned. "I spoke with him early this morning, but that's the last time I've talked with him today," she said, "but I expect to hear from him soon."

Padmé watched as Bail nodded his head, slowly, and then leaned back in his chair and took another long, deep breath. "_I was hoping that you might,"_ he said. "_That's the reason that I contacted you."_

"_I have information,"_ Bail said, his tone and expression becoming deeply serious, "_very sensitive and vital information, that I must get to someone in the Jedi Order,"_ he said. _"And I need your help."_

Padmé was confused, and she didn't like it; something about this didn't make sense. 'But, Bail," she said, cocking her head a bit and looking back at him, deeply puzzled, "you're using one of Master Windu's encryption keys. Why can't you just relay this information to him, or someone else on the Council, yourself?"

Bail raised his hand, nodding his head at her perfectly legitimate question. "_If you'll bear with me for a moment,_" he said with a reserved sigh, "_I'll try to explain why I can't do that."_

Padmé watched as Bail glanced at Sola for a moment, and then looked back at her. "_I trust,"_ Bail said, "_that it is safe to speak in your present company?"_

Padmé glanced back at Sola, and then looked back to Bail's image and nodded her head. "This is my sister Sola, Bail," Padmé said, and she watched as Sola nodded politely, as Bail did the same. "My trust in her is exceeded only by my trust in my husband," she said. "Anything that you need to speak with me about, you can say freely in front of her."

"_Very good,"_ Bail said, nodding his head again. "_I just wanted to make sure,"_ he said, and Padmé and Sola watched his image, as he paused for a moment, and then continued.

"_Master Windu came to see me, in secret, two nights ago,"_ Bail said, his countenance growing deeply serious. "_Has Anakin shared anything with you about what's been going on in the Republic the past few days?"_ he asked.

"Yes," Padmé said, nodding her head firmly. "He has, a great deal, actually," Padmé said. "I'm assuming that you're referring to what the Council has learned about Chancellor Palpatine?"

_"Yes,"_ Bail said with a firm nod. _"How much do you know about what's happened?"_

Padmé looked back at Sola, her expression somewhat puzzled. "Only what Anakin's told me," she said, as she looked back and watched Bail listen to her intently as his image flickered again. "He told me that the Council had met, and agreed that they needed to gather the evidence they need to confront the Chancellor," she said.

"And if I'm not mistaken," Padmé said, as she looked back at Sola for a moment, "Anakin said that Master Obi-Wan was in the process of gathering that evidence now."

"_I believe that he may have been successful in obtaining that proof,"_ Bail said, and he paused and took a long, deep breath as Padmé and Sola both watched his image with rapt attention.

_"I'm unable to contact anyone on the Council,"_ Bail continued, "_and I believe you have the best chance of speaking with Anakin before we can reach anyone else. I need you to relay this information to him as soon as you possibly can."_

"_What you're about to hear,"_ Bail said, his expression softening somewhat, "_may be very disturbing to the both of you,"_ he said. "_Can I rely on you to relay this information to him?"_

Padmé's thoughts shifted to the dark, terrifying sensation that she had felt earlier in the day; she turned and looked at her sister, worriedly, for a long moment, and then turned her attention back to Bail's image. "Of course, Bail," she said with a nod, her own voice betraying her apprehension at what he was about to tell them.

Padmé turned and looked toward Artoo as he sat as the communications console. "Artoo," Padmé said, as the little droid swung his sensor dome toward her and whistled softly, "record Senator Organa's transmission, starting now," she said, "and encrypt it using Anakin's personal encryption key, not the Order's."

Artoo whistled obediently, and Sola and Padmé watched as the small panel just below Artoo's optical sensor dome popped open; they could see Anakin's key held securely in his long, metal pincers, and they watched as he placed it in the slot on the communications station's recorder. He spun the wheels at the control station, as he retracted his pincers and closed his access panel, and then turned his sensors back to Padmé and whistled brightly.

"Alright, Bail," Padmé said, nodding her head as she looked back at his image on the holopad. "Artoo's recording everything you say," she said, and then she took a deep breath and swallowed hard; Sola looked down, as she felt Padmé reach over and take her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Now what's happening?" Padmé asked, softly.

"_Just over an hour ago,_" Bail said, his tone growing deeply serious, "_Chancellor Palpatine called an emergency meeting of the Senate,"_ he said. "_He has just placed the entire Republic under the rule of martial law."_

"What?" Padmé asked, her sharp voice ringing through the cabin as she leaned forward, looking at Bail in stunned disbelief. "He can't do that," she said, "not without the approval and support of the Senate."

Bail's words had struck her like a bolt of lightning; martial law had _never _been declared in the Republic before. Padmé felt her heart begin to pound in her chest, and she squeezed Sola's hand tightly as she listened in silence as Bail continued.

"_The Chancellor has implemented Article thirty-seven of the Constitution,_" Bail said, as he looked back at Padmé's stunned expression.

"I understand how Article thirty-seven works," Padmé said, shaking her head as she spoke. "But he still has to have the approval of two-thirds of the delegates in the Senate to invoke martial law," she said, her tone growing aggravated as she spoke.

"_Not under our current circumstances,"_ Bail said, shaking his head, slowly.

"Yes he does, Bail," Padmé said, her tone growing more frustrated by the moment. "He has to have…"

"_Padmé,"_ Bail said, raising his hand and cutting her off as gently as he could, "_Two years ago,"_ he said, "_Ister Paddie and Mas Amedda proposed an amendment, shortly after the attacks that destroyed the colonies on Yavin IV that made provisions for the Chancellor's powers to be increased during a time of war."_

"_Specifically,"_ Bail said, as Padmé listened, shaking her head slowly in disbelief at what she was hearing, "_it grants the Chancellor the power to invoke specific protectionary measures when he has been granted emergency power by the Senate,"_ Bail said. "_And one of those measures is the implementation of martial law."_

Sola squeezed Padmé's hand gently; she could tell that Padmé was upset, and growing more so by the moment. "What you're saying, Bail," Padmé said, her voice trembling with frustration as she spoke, "is that the Senate signed away the checks and balances that have existed for over a thousand years," she said, "to prevent just this kind of thing from happening!"

_"You are correct,"_ Bail said, nodding his head slowly, his own face reflecting the same anger and frustration as her own. "_Many of us opposed the amendment, as vocally as we could,"_ he said, "_but after the massive number of deaths in those colonies, the outlying systems felt exposed and vulnerable."_

"_When it came up for a final vote on the Senate floor,"_ Bail said, shaking his head forlornly, "_the representatives of those systems folded under the pressure and allowed the amendment to pass."_

"Oh, Bail," Padmé sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head slowly, as she squeezed Sola's hand tightly. "What you're telling us is," she said, her voice trembling with frustration and anger as she turned her deeply saddened face back toward him, "is that bastard Palpatine now has complete control of the entire Republic, and the Senate has no power to do anything to stop him!"

Padmé turned her eyes down again, and she paused as she took a long, trembling breath. "And now," she said, turning her deeply troubled face back up toward her friend, as her voice softened somewhat, "they've placed the burden of dealing with this situation that they've created on the shoulders of the Jedi," she said, her voice trembling as she spoke. "And my Anakin."

Bail's heart went out to her, as he watched Sola reach over and place her arm around Padmé's shoulders as she sat silently for a long moment as the cold, hard truth of what was happening hit home, hard. He regretted, more than she would ever know, that he had been the one who had brought this damnable news to her, and placed this responsibility on her already burdened shoulders. What he had to tell her next would only add to that burden, but he knew that he had no choice; she had to know. Padmé was his best hope in this dark hour.

"_Padmé_," Bail said, quietly, as he watched her turn her worried face back toward him, "_the Jedi have already made their first attempt to deal with this situation,"_ he said. "_And there have been sacrifices already. Unimaginable ones."_

"_Chancellor Palpatine told the Senate that, earlier today, the senior members of the Council forced their way into his chambers and attempted to assassinate him,"_ Bail said, and then he paused for a moment, his expression growing deeply somber as he continued. "_Apparently,"_ he said, quietly, "_Master Windu, and the Council members who were with him were killed."_

"Master Windu?" Padmé whispered, in shocked disbelief, shaking her head slowly as Bail's words struck her like a stone.

"_We have been unable to contact anyone at the Temple,"_ Bail continued, his tone deeply somber, "_to verify who exactly was with Master Windu when this took place."_

Sola raised her hand to her mouth in shock, and she turned and looked at her sister; Padmé sat silently, but Sola could see her eyes shining from the tears that stood in them, see her lip trembling slightly, as she clung tightly to Sola's hand and stared out of the window of their ship in silence as Bail continued.

"_The Chancellor maintains that the Jedi were responsible for the creation of the Clone Army,"_ Bail said, "_and are therefore responsible for the Clone Wars themselves."_

_"He has declared them to be enemies of the Republic, and ordered that they are to be hunted down,"_ he said, and he paused for a moment, as he saw Padmé look back at him silently, "_and either captured, or killed."_

Bail's countenance changed, and grew deeply compassionate, as he saw Padmé reach up, silently, and wipe away the tear that rolled slowly down her cheek as she looked back up at his image, that flickered in front of them; Sola sat quietly, but Padmé could feel her trembling as Sola held her hand tightly as she sat beside her, her hand still pressed tightly over her mouth in disbelief.

"_I'm deeply sorry to be the one to bring you this news, Padmé,"_ he said, quietly. "_Believe me, if there had been any other way to get this information to the Jedi, I would have chosen it."_

"_But these are desperate times,"_ Bail said, as he watched Padmé nod her head slowly, turning her eyes down toward her lap as she listened to him. "_The Chancellor has taken control of the Clone Army, so we're unable to reach any of the Jedi commanders in the field,"_ he said, "_and he has declared the Temple off-limits."_

Padmé closed her eyes for a moment; she felt herself losing control, as the tide of terrible news that Bail shared with her swept over her. She took a deep breath, and reached down deep inside herself, as she struggled to remember what Anakin had taught her not long ago; time paused for just a moment, as the memory of that quiet moment filled her mind.

_She sat quietly in the grass of the meadow, her hands folded around Anakin's as he sat behind her, his arms wrapped securely around her as he hugged her gently._

"_Are you sure I can do this, Ani?' Padmé asked, as she looked over her shoulder at his smiling face as he snuggled in close behind her. "We've been trying this for a couple of weeks now," she said._

"_Of course I'm sure," Anakin nodded. "I've never been more sure about anything," he said, as she grinned back at him. "You just have to believe it yourself."_

"_Are you ready to try again?" Anakin asked._

"_Yes," Padmé said, as she turned back and looked out across the meadow._

"_Okay," Anakin said. "Just close your eyes," he said, watching her as she did so, "and let go of everything."_

_She could feel the warmth of the early morning sun on her face, and she smiled as she felt him kiss her softly on her cheek, as he brought his face close to hers. Her eyes were closed, and she breathed, deeply and slowly, as she listened to his voice as he whispered softly into her ear, resting his strong hands gently on her round stomach._

"_Remember," Anakin whispered, softly, "A Jedi can feel the Force flowing through them," he said softly. "Quiet your mind, Angel," he whispered, "and you'll hear it speaking to you."_

"_Will I hear words, Ani?" Padmé asked softly, keeping her eyes closed as she listened to his quiet, comforting voice. "Like a voice?"_

"_No," Anakin whispered, and she smiled again as he kissed her on the cheek. "You'll just know," he said, softly. "Just like when you can hear my heart talking to yours."_

_Padmé nodded, and then she took another long, slow breath, as Anakin whispered in her ear again. "But remember," he said, as he reached down and picked up the small stone that sat on the ground next to him as he spoke, "you'll only hear it clearly when you're calm and at peace. Okay?"_

"_Okay," Padmé said, nodding her head, and she cleared her mind as Anakin slowly stretched his fist out in front of her, the small stone held tightly in his hand._

"_Reach out with your feelings, and trust your instincts," Anakin whispered softly, and he watched her as she sat quietly, her eyes closed with her hands resting in her lap. "And no peeking."_

_Padmé smiled and nodded her head, and Anakin watched her for a long while, as the two of them sat in silence, the air filled with the soft sounds of their meadow. He closed his eyes for a moment, and he felt her touch the Force that flowed through her. He opened his eyes, and then, shifting his hand to his left, he opened his hand and let the stone fall in front of her._

_Padmé reached up and over with her right hand, suddenly, and Anakin watched with a smile as she snatched the small stone from the air._

_Anakin started to laugh, as Padmé open her eyes; she gasped and looked down at her fist; she opened her hand slowly, and a bright, bewildered smile spread across her face, as she gazed with amazement at the stone that rested in her hand._

"_I did it," Padmé laughed, as Anakin hugged her tightly, kissing her on the cheek again as he laughed. "I did it!"_

Padmé took another deep breath; _calm and at peace,_ she thought to herself, and she shifted her focus to the one thing that always brought her those two things; she searched, through the fear and worry, for that warm, reassuring tremor in her heart as her sharp, nimble mind began to work frantically on the problem that she was now faced with.

Padmé looked up at Bail Organa's image, as he paused for a moment. "_Do you know where Anakin is,"_ he asked, "o_r where he was going when all of this transpired?"_

Padmé swallowed hard, taking another long, deep breath. "When I talked to him this morning," she said, quietly, "he and Master Yoda were on their way to Kamino. They should have been at least halfway there, by midday."

"_Yoda was with him?_" Bail asked, a look of stunned surprise on his face. "_Are you sure?"_

"Yes," Padmé said, nodding her head firmly. "Positive. He was on the ship when I spoke with Anakin this morning."

_"That's welcome news, indeed,_" Bail said, taking a deep breath and sighing deeply. "_When we heard about Master Windu, we assumed that Yoda would have been with him."_

"_You must get this information to Anakin as quickly as possible, Padmé,"_ Bail said, his tone growing deeply serious again. _"I can't risk sending it again, and they must be made aware of what's going on."_

"I understand," Padmé said, nodding her head slowly, her voice still trembling as she looked back up at his image on the holopad. "I'll do everything I possibly can to get it to him, Bail," she said. "You have my word."

"_Thank you, Padmé,"_ Bail said, as his countenance lightened, somewhat. "_And I'm deeply sorry, more than you'll ever know, for laying this heavy burden on your already burdened shoulders."_

_"But I know that you'll succeed where I've failed,"_ he said, and Padmé looked at him as he smiled fondly at her. "_You always managed to."_

"_Tell Anakin and Yoda that they can reach me at my residence,"_ Bail said, and then he paused and nodded his head at her, slowly. "_And tell them to use this key. I'll help them in any way that I can."_

"I will, Bail," Padmé said, nodding her head slowly.

_"Good luck, Padmé,"_ Bail said, and she watched as he raised his hand toward the console in front of him. "_May the Force be with you, and with Anakin."_

"May the Force be with you, Bail," Padmé said, quietly, and she watched as his image flickered several times, and then disappeared.

Padmé sat up, slowly, and Sola watched her as she took a long, halting breath, and then reached up and wiped away another tear that stood in the corner of her eye.

Padmé heard Anakin's voice again, as her mind drifted back to that moment in the meadow again; _reach out with your feelings, _he had told her. _And trust your instincts. _She sat quietly for another moment, and then Sola watched her as she let go of her hand and bolted up off the bench and walked quickly toward Artoo.

"Artoo," Padmé said, her voice still trembling a bit as she spoke, "do you still have Anakin's files in your memory banks? The ones that he had you load right before he left?"

Sola stood up, and walked slowly over to stand by Padmé as Artoo swung his sensor dome toward his mistress, a string of beeps and whistles echoing through the cabin. Sola folded her arms across her chest, and looked at the display on the ship's console with Padmé as the translation scrolled across it.

_Of course, Mistress Padmé._

"Good," Padmé said, and she sat down quickly in the pilot's chair and tapped the control panel quickly, as she started to bring the ship's main computer online. "Call up the access codes," Padmé said, as her fingers flew quickly across the control panel; she looked back at the display, as Artoo whistled again, spinning the control wheels at his station quickly. Padmé smiled, slightly, as she watched the translation appear on the display.

_Yes, Mistress. The Temple data banks?_

"Yes, Artoo," she grinned, as she looked at her faithful little servant. "The Temple data banks. And you're as sharp as always."

Sola stepped behind her younger sister, placing her hands on the back of her chair, and watched her as she worked with a curious expression. "What are you doing, Padmé?" she asked, as she read the translation on the display.

"Getting in touch with Anakin," Padmé said, as she watched the access codes appear on the display in front of her. Sola watched her, curiously, as Padmé keyed in the last few commands, and the ship's main console blazed to life as the main computer came online. "Artoo," Padmé said, as the little droid turned his attention to her again, "bring up the data link to the Temple's systems," she said, as she turned to look at him intently. "Key those access codes into the ship's computer, and get us in that system."

"I want you to find the access codes for the transmitter and location transponder of whatever ship that Anakin and Yoda are on," Padmé said. "And I want them fast."

"Can you do that?" Sola asked, looking at her sister with an amazed, and somewhat apprehensive expression.

"Can I?" Padmé asked, looking up at her sister's apprehensive face. "Yes," she said, and then she turned and looked back at the ship's computer display and watched as Artoo locked in the data link to the Temple's computers and started to feed in the seven long, complex access codes. "Am I supposed to," Padmé sighed, shaking her head, "No."

Sola smiled, and she looked at the display with Padmé, as she realized what her sister was doing. "I don't believe this," she said with a soft laugh, as she placed her hand on Padmé's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You're breaking into the Jedi Order's computer system."

"You're damned right I am," Padmé said, reaching up and squeezing Sola's hand tightly. "Anakin told me before he left that he'd given everything that I might need to Artoo," she said, "and that I'd know how to use it if I needed to."

Padmé watched, anxiously, as the last access code matched up; she smiled, slyly, and she and Sola watched as hundreds of ships began to scroll by on the display in front of them as Artoo quickly searched the Temple's database systems.

"The Jedi always log everything," Padmé said, watching the huge array of ships scroll by on the display at incredible speed. "Everything gets logged in the archives, she said. "Everyplace they go, who they go with…"

Padmé paused as she saw the display suddenly stop, as Artoo whistled brightly and zoomed the display in on a small Republic transport. "And what ship they travel on," she said, a sly grin spreading across her face as she saw the ship's technical data scroll across the screen beside her.

Sola leaned forward over Padmé's shoulder, looking at the display and shaking her head. "You're a genius," she sighed, placing her hands on Padmé's shoulders and squeezing them tightly as she watched Padmé transfer the encrypted transponder codes into the ship's main computer.

"Well, I don't know about that," Padmé sighed, as she ran the encrypted codes through the signal encrypter. "But this is personal now. Damn the rules. I'm a wife, and I need to talk to my husband," she said, defiantly. Padmé watched, for a long moment, as the computer worked to decipher the transponder codes, and then smiled again as the finished codes scrolled across the display in front of her.

"Here are the codes for the transponder, Artoo," Padmé said, and she tapped the control pad quickly, transferring them to her little round companion at the communications console. She turned and nodded at him, and then turned and looked back up at Sola as he spun the control wheels and brought the transmitter online.

Outside, the small dish on the top of their ship swung slowly toward the horizon, as the transmitter engaged, sending Padmé's urgent call across the vast expanse of space.

* * *

Yoda sat in the copilot's seat, his face deeply thoughtful, as he looked out of the ship's main viewport at the stars that moved slowly in space around them, as they continued on their heading toward Coruscant.

They were moving at full impulse power again, thanks to Anakin's quick work and skilled hands. Yoda looked down toward the ship's floor; all he could see of Anakin was the lower half of his body, as everything else, from the two sabers that hung at his sides up, was under the console, as he lay on his back on the deck, working diligently on the navigational computer.

Yoda's long, keen ears perked up instantly, as soon as he heard the high-pitched beep; he looked back at the console, and the brows on his small, round face furrowed a bit as he saw the indicator on the communications center begin to flash brightly.

"Anakin," Yoda said, looking back down at his young companion as he worked, "a signal, we are receiving."

Yoda watched as Anakin wiggled himself, with some difficulty, slowly out from under the console and looked up at him. "From the Council, Master?" he asked, reaching over and picking up the rag beside him and wiping his carbon covered hands.

Yoda looked back to the console, as his three short, but nimble, fingers moved quickly on the control pad. "No," he said, his countenance darkening, somewhat, as he listened to the defiant buzz as he tried to engage the encryption key, and looked at the message that scrolled across the main console's display.

_Error. Key rejected. Unable to lock and process signal._

"Encrypted, the signal is," Yoda said, looking at the display on the communications station as the computer flashed the bright yellow error message at him defiantly, "but unable to decrypt and lock on the signal, our key is."

Anakin looked up at Yoda thoughtfully for a moment, and then he tossed the rag to the floor beside him as he grabbed hold of the arm of the pilot's chair and pulled himself up, quickly. Yoda watched his young friend, as Anakin took a step closer to him and looked at the error message on the comm station's display for a moment; he swept his hand through his hair slowly, sweeping it out of his eyes, and then reached over and tapped the touch screen on the console, quickly, as he attempted to call up the sending key's identification.

Yoda looked at him curiously, as he saw a look of deep concern spread across Anakin's face as the resulting error message scrolled itself across the display:

_Key identification request denied pending confirmation of authorization sequence. Please insert proper key, confirm authorization sequence, and reprocess signal._

_Authorization Code: Angel One – One Alpha – Two Bravo_

"Recognize this key, do you?" Yoda asked, tilting his head curiously as Anakin looked at him for second, and then reached down toward the belt at his waist.

Yoda watched, quite curiously, as Anakin produced the small, crystal blue, hexagonal key from one of the compartments on his belt. "As a matter of fact, Master," Anakin said, looking back at Yoda as he held the key up in front of him for a moment, "I do."

Yoda looked on, with growing interest, as Anakin sat down in the pilot's seat next to him and quickly replaced the Order's key with his own, and then fed the signal back through the comm station's computer. Anakin watched the display, somewhat anxiously, as the yellow error message stopped flashing, and the display went blank; he waited and watched for a long moment, with nothing but a blinking, triangular cursor on the screen as the computer worked to process the long, complex key.

Anakin sighed deeply as he sat quietly, drumming his fingers anxiously as the computer's processors worked to decode the exceptionally complex algorithm. He knew it would take a few moments, and he almost wished he had made the sequence shorter; but he had built these keys for them for a purpose, and he had taken no chances whatsoever in regards to her safety when he built them. He knew they worked; even Artoo hadn't been able to break the codes that he had employed in their construction, and only he, Padmé, and their trusted astrodroid knew the two-part authorization codes required to activate them.

"Finally," Anakin sighed, as he saw the bright green message scroll across the display in front of him:

_Key accepted. Please enter Authorization Code._

Yoda watched Anakin with rapt attention, as his young companion keyed the requested authorization code into the computer manually from the control pad in front of him.

_White Knight Two – One Bravo – Two Bravo – Three_

They both watched and waited, as the computer processed the authorization sequence for a moment, and then responded.

_Authorization code confirmed. Signal locked. Ready to process._

Yoda looked up at Anakin, cocking his head and looking at the young Jedi Knight curiously, as Anakin reached over to the comm station and engaged the holographic subsystems.

"Interesting, that authorization sequence was," Yoda said, his eyebrow raised in interest, as Anakin paused for a moment and glanced back at him, a little sheepishly. "Correct, am I, in assuming," Yoda asked, as he nodded his head, slowly, "that from someone else besides the Council, this transmission is?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin sighed, nodding as he turned his attention back to the controls on the comm station. "It's Padmé," he said, his face growing more concerned as he worked. "And if she's calling me, here," he said, shaking his head, "then something's _definitely_ wrong."

"She would have had to go through a lot of trouble to get this ship's transponder codes," Anakin said, as he prepared to engage the holographic station on the main console. "Something's happened," he said, looking at Yoda apprehensively. "And I'm willing to bet it's not good."

"But," Yoda said, a curious smile spreading across his round, weathered face, "secured in the Temple data banks, these codes would have been," he said. "Curious, indeed, how she would have obtained them."

Anakin said nothing for a moment, as he looked back at Yoda's curious face with a somewhat sheepish, telling expression, and then turned his eyes back to the console. "Padmé's very resourceful, Master," Anakin said quietly, "as I'm sure you already know."

Yoda nodded his head, slowly, watching as Anakin pressed the switch on the console, engaging the holographic projector; he and Anakin both turned their attention to the holographic display on the console in front of them as Padmé's image flashed several times, and then appeared steadily over the holographic emitter on the console.

* * *

Sola squeezed Padmé's hand tightly, as Padmé closed her eyes and sighed with relief as she saw Anakin and Yoda's images appear above the holopad.

"Anakin," Padmé said, her voice trembling a bit as she opened her eyes and looked up at him, a look of deep relief on her face, "Oh, Ani, you don't know how relieved I am to see you. Are you and Master Yoda all right?"

The image flicker for a moment, as Anakin nodded his head. "_We're fine, Padmé,"_ he said. "_What's wrong? Are you all right?"_

"Everything's fine here, Ani," Padmé said, nodding her head. "But something terrible has happened. Where are you?"

"_We're less than an hour away from Coruscant,"_ Anakin said, and Padmé watched as he glanced back at Yoda. "_We, uh,_" he said, looking back at her sheepishly, "_had a little trouble with the navigational computer, and it's taking us a little longer to get back than we anticipated."_

"Ani," Padmé said, her voice still trembling somewhat as she spoke, "Bail Organa just contacted us a few moments ago. He's been trying to get in touch with someone in the Order all afternoon," she said. "Something terrible has happened on Coruscant."

Padmé watched, as Anakin and Yoda both turned their deeply troubled faces toward one another, and sat quietly for a moment as they both reflected on the dark, troubling tremors that had surged through the Force all afternoon.

"_We know,"_ Anakin said, softly, nodding his head, a deeply troubled look on his face. "_We both sensed it, earlier,_" he said.

"How much do you know, Ani?" Padmé asked, the troubled look on her husband's face mirrored in her own. She knew that both Anakin and Yoda were extremely powerful, and that they would have sensed infinitely more than she had, earlier; she just wasn't sure how much.

_"Only that the Council went to face Chancellor Palpatine,"_ he said, and he paused as he dropped his gaze for a moment. _"And that at least some of the ones who went to confront him were killed,"_ Anakin said, as he looked back up at his wife slowly.

_"We were able to sense that much through the Force,"_ Anakin continued, as his image flickered again for a moment. "_Beyond that,"_ he said, shaking his head slowly, "_we haven't been able to contact the Council and find out anything more."_

"_Curious, and troubling,"_ Yoda said, turning his attention from Anakin toward Padmé, "_that found it necessary to contact you, Senator Organa has, instead of the Council."_

_"_He hasn't been able to reach anyone on the Council, Master Yoda,_"_ Padmé said, shaking her head. "When Bail couldn't contact anyone at the Temple, he gambled that I might be able to find you, or that Anakin would contact me."

_"Hmmm,"_ Yoda mused, nodding his head slowly. "_A worthwhile gamble, it was,_" he said, and then looked back up at her. "_But, disturbing this is. Activated the homing beacon, someone at the Temple has,"_ he said. "_Difficult to understand it is, why they would not answer his call."_

"A lot's happened in the last few hours, Master Yoda," Padmé said, as she looked at Yoda's image on the display. "Bail thinks he knows why no one's answering at the Temple."

Yoda's expression darkened, as he glanced at Anakin and sat quietly for a moment. "_What did he tell you, Padmé?"_ Yoda asked, turning his eyes back toward her.

Padmé looked back at Sola for a moment, and then turned her attention back to their image on the holopad. "Chancellor Palpatine has placed the Republic under the protection of martial law,_"_ she said. "He called an emergency meeting of the Senate today, and told the Senate that Master Windu and the Council tried to assassinate him," she said, and she watched as Anakin and Yoda looked at each other in silence for a moment.

Padmé closed her eyes, and then took a long, deep breath. "Bail said that Master Windu and the members of the Council who were with him were killed," she said, as she opened her eyes and looked back at Anakin.

Anakin nodded his head, slowly, and he cast his gaze down and closed his eyes; he had sensed it, earlier, when the dark tremors had first struck him. Yet now, as he heard Padmé confirm what he had sensed, he felt that same, dark wave of cold despair roll over him again. He opened his eyes, and looked over at Yoda; the tiny Jedi Master sat in silence, his head bowed and his eyes closed. Anakin could sense the deep pain and anguish in Yoda's heart, as the loss of his friends, those friends that he had known for so many years, struck him hard, as the terrible news confirmed what he and Anakin had both feared earlier.

Padmé felt tears stinging her eyes as she looked at Anakin and Yoda's deeply saddened faces. "I'm so sorry, Ani," she said softly, as she reached up and wiped away the tear that stood on her cheek, as Sola squeezed her hand gently. "And to you too, Master Yoda," she said. "I know that Master Windu and the others were your friends and mentors," she said, and she watched as their image flickered on the holopad in front of them.

"_Did Bail say who was with Master Windu when this happened?"_ Anakin asked, as he looked back up at her.

"No, Ani," Padmé said, shaking her head slowly as she spoke. "He said that Chancellor Palpatine won't give them any information, and he's declared the Temple off-limits," she said. "Bail said they can't get in touch with anyone in the Order to confirm anything."

That's why he called me," Padmé said. "He was counting on the fact that I would either hear from you or get in touch with you, somehow."

_"Declared the Temple off-limits?"_ Anakin asked, looking at Padmé with a puzzled, confused expression; she watched as she saw Yoda lift his deeply saddened face toward her as Anakin spoke. "_What do you mean he's declared the Temple off-limits?"_

"They won't let any of the senators anywhere near the Temple, Ani," Padmé said, shaking her head. "Or Chancellor Palpatine's office in the Senate building."

Anakin looked up at her, his brow furrowing deeply on his puzzled face. "_What does he think he's doing?"_ he asked, quietly, glancing over toward Yoda and shaking his head, slowly.

"Ani," Padmé said softly, her voice trembling again, "Chancellor Palpatine has declared the Jedi enemies of the Republic," she said, and she watched as her husband and Yoda looked up at her in stunned disbelief. "He's ordered that all of you are to be hunted down and captured," she said, "or killed."

"He's declared war against the Jedi, Ani," Padmé said, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "And he's using everything in his power to do it."

_"So,"_ Yoda said, looking back at Anakin with a deep, thoughtful sigh, "_Begun at last, the Dark Lord's attack has."_

"Bail said that Palpatine has taken control of the Clone Army, somehow," Padmé said, as she watched their image flicker again, and then stabilize. "He said that they haven't been able to reach any of the Jedi that are commanding those battalions, either."

Anakin turned and looked back over his shoulder into the passenger compartment for a moment, as he looked at Captain Netaka's bound, unconscious body. "_If Palpatine has taken control of the Clone Army and plans to use them against us,"_ he said, turning his eyes back to Yoda again, "_then that would explain why Captain Netaka attacked us._"

"_Indeed,"_ Yoda said, nodding his head slowly. "_A safe assumption it is,"_ Yoda said, "_that endured similar attacks, the Jedi in the field have."_

"_Like Obi-Wan,"_ Anakin said, as he looked back up at Padmé; he could see the deeply concerned look on her face. His thoughts shifted to his former mentor; he had left with not one, but two entire battalions of clone troopers. If they had turned on him, the same way that Netaka had on them…

"If he's taken control of the Temple, Ani," Padmé said, shaking her head slowly as she looked at his image on the holopad, "then the homing beacon that Master Yoda mentioned might be a trap."

Anakin turned and looked at Yoda, as the Jedi Master listened to Padmé attentively. "_Correct, I believe, your companion is,_" he said, looking back at Anakin. "_Explains as well, this does, the missing reason for the recall, when activated the beacon was."_

_"Imperative, it is,_" Yoda said, looking up at Anakin from his seat in the copilot's chair, "_that get to the Temple quickly, we must, and disable the homing beacon. If indeed a trap this is,"_ Yoda said, "_draw the remaining Jedi into Sidious' clutches, it will."_

_"Everyone who wasn't in the field was still in the Temple when all of this happened, Master,"_ Anakin said. "_All of the archive staff, the first year Jedi, even the padawans,"_ he said, looking back up at Padmé again. "_They'd all still be there."_

"The children?" Padmé asked, softly. "Oh, Ani," she asked, as she squeezed Sola's hand tightly as she sat beside her; she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of the dozens of children in the Temple's dormitories. "You don't think that he would…" She closed her eyes and stopped in mid sentence, instinctively placing her hand gently on her stomach. She couldn't allow herself to finish that terrible thought.

Sola lifted her hand slowly to her mouth, as the horrible realization of what Padmé was inferring struck her. Padmé has shown her pictures, on several occasions, of the rooms filled with eager, young padawans in the Temple's training facilities and dormitories. "Oh, Padmé," she said, as her sister turned her deeply troubled face toward her, "You don't really think…"

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, knowing instinctively what it was that Padmé was thinking. "_Master,"_ Anakin said, turning and looking back at Yoda and shaking his head, slowly, "_we've got to get in there. We can't leave those children in Palpatine's hands."_

Yoda nodded his head, slowly, as he looked back at Anakin. "_How much longer,_" he asked, "_until the navigational computer is repaired, and make the jump to light speed, we can?"_

_"I think I can have us ready in ten minutes, Master,"_ Anakin said, looking back at the open nav computer, it's innards stared up at him from the center of the console. "_It's only going to be operating at eighty percent, though, and some of the smaller bodies may not show up on the nav maps, so there's a bit of a risk,"_ he said, "_but I think, under the circumstances, that we need to chance it."_

_"I agree,"_ Yoda said, nodding his head. "_Possible, is it, for us to try to contact Obi-Wan?"_

* * *

"Padmé," Anakin said, as he turned back to the ship's computer in front of him, "do you and Artoo still have the link active to the Temple's archive database?"

_"Yes,"_ Padmé said with a nod, as she listened to Anakin attentively.

_"_Have Artoo find the transponder information for Obi-Wan's ship, the one he used when he left for Utapau, and relay it to us here as soon as you have it," he said.

_"I thought you might ask for that,"_ Padmé said, as Anakin looked back up at her image and watched as she tapped the control pad in front of her. "_Look at your display,"_ she said, looking back up to him with a grin. "_It should be coming through now."_

Anakin's countenance softened a bit, and he smiled as he looked down and watched the technical information for Obi-Wan's ship scroll across the display in front of him.

"I love you," he sighed, looking up at her image fondly, as she smiled warmly back at him.

_"I love you, too,_" she said, softly, as her image flickered again. "_More than you'll ever know."_

Yoda looked up at Padmé's image for a long moment, and then turned his eyes back toward Anakin, as he worked quickly, feeding the codes for Obi-Wan's ship into their comm station's computer. He remembered what he had told Mace Windu, that day in the Temple four years ago; _a powerful thing, love and devotion can be, _he had told him. He sighed deeply, as he turned his cane over thoughtfully in his small hands. Even he could never have foreseen just how correct that statement had been.

"Padmé," Yoda said, turning his attention back to her image on the holopad, "the link you have to the Temple's database," he said, as he watched her turn her face toward him. "A high speed link, is it?"

"_Yes, Master Yoda,_" Padmé said, nodding her head as her image flickered again. "_Anakin and I upgraded the transmitter in the ship last year. It's as fast as you can get."_

"Very good," Yoda said, as Anakin turned and looked at him as the Jedi Master climbed down from his chair and took a step closer to Anakin, his small cane held tightly in his hand.

"Assume we must," Yoda said, as Anakin and Padmé listened to him intently, "that control of the Temple, and its resources, Sidious now has," he said. "Only a matter of time, it is, before he gains access to the archive's data banks."

"Those data banks contain the complete history of the Order," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly as he looked at Yoda. "Along with the identification and location of every Jedi who's ever lived," he said, and then he looked back up at Padmé's image. "And their families."

"Of utmost importance, it is," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly, "that retrieve that information, we do, and prevent it from falling into the Dark Lord's, or his agents, hands." He took a deep breath, and stood silently for a moment. "If bent on destroying us, he is," Yoda said, "then our death knell, it would be, if placed that information into the hands of his Clone Army, he did."

Anakin looked down at the console in front of him for a moment, as he turned Yoda's proposal over in his mind. "The link speed's not such a problem, Master," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "But those databases are enormous," he said, looking back up at Yoda. "The databank in our ship is huge, but it's nowhere near large enough to hold the amount of data you're talking about," he said. "Even if we only transferred the critical stuff."

_"Ani,"_ Padmé said, as Anakin and Yoda turned their attention back to her image. "_What about that high density core that you've been working on at the shop?"_ she asked. "_You know, the one you've been working on for the university?"_

Anakin looked back at Yoda for a moment, as he considered what she was suggesting. "It's possible, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head as Yoda looked at him intently. "That's a big core," he said. "Padmé and Artoo should be able to tie it in to the ship's systems, and store the archive data there."

"There's no way we could get it all," Anakin said, looking back up at Padmé's image as she listened to him intently, "but we could get all the crucial stuff," he said. "The Order's history databases, log files, all the demographic data," he said. "Everything that we wouldn't want to lose, or have fall into Sidious' hands."

"Once we get the crucial data transferred," Anakin said, as Yoda listened to him intently, "Artoo can key the sequence into the Temple systems to burn the archive's core."

* * *

"Master Yoda," Padmé asked, quietly, shaking her head slowly as she looked up at his image on the holopad, "Are you sure about this?" she asked. "We're talking about destroying the Temple archives."

Anakin and Padmé both watched Yoda for a moment, as the Jedi Master took a deep breath, and nodded his head slowly. _"No alternative we have, I fear,_" Yoda said, his a look of resolved sorrow on his small face. "_If obtains that data, Sidious does,"_ he said, "_then lost, all hope is."_

_"Besides,_" Yoda said, looking back at Padmé and managing a confident smile, "_trust in you, we will, to preserve those archives before they are destroyed."_

"_Padmé,"_ Anakin said, as his image flickered again, "_can you have Dad and Threepio go to the shop and retrieve that core?"_

Sola stood up quickly, as Padmé looked up at her older sister. "You get to work on transferring that data," Sola nodded. "I'll take care of getting the core."

Padmé smiled up at her older sister, and squeezed her hand tightly. "Thank you, Sola," she said, quietly, and then she watched as Sola released her hand and walked quickly out of the ship.

"The core will be here shortly," Padmé said, looking back at Anakin's image and nodding her head. "Sola's going to get Dad and Threepio now."

Padmé and Anakin watched Yoda sit down at the ship's console and begin to key several long, cryptic sequences into the computer. "_Padmé,"_ Yoda said, as his small, nimble fingers flew quickly over the keypad, _"sending you the destruct codes for the Temple's database, I am,"_ he said, as he reached over and transferred the codes into the buffer on the ship's transmitter. "_Need these, your droid will,"_ Yoda said, looking back up at her, "_to destroy the databases."_

Padmé considered the magnitude of what they were preparing to do, as she looked down at the console in front of her; she swallowed hard as she saw the seven long codes scroll across her display, and then she turned and looked at her little astrodroid as he sat diligently at his station near her. "Artoo," she said, quietly, "go ahead and transfer these codes into your memory."

She watched him, as he spun the control wheels in front of him, and then swung his dome back toward her with a whistle. She nodded, slowly, as she saw his response on the display in front of her.

"He has them, Master Yoda," Padmé said, looking back up at Yoda's image with a nod.

"Oh," Padmé said, as she suddenly remembered what Bail had told her, "Bail said that, if you need to contact him on Coruscant, that you could find him at his residence," she said, and she tapped the control pad in front of her quickly as she spoke. "He's using this key," she said, as she transferred it to the buffer and transmitted the key's identification code to them. "It's one that Master Windu gave him a few nights ago."

She shifted her attention to Anakin as he spoke to her. "_Padmé,"_ he said, "_you and Artoo should be able to go ahead and start transferring as much data as you can now. But have Artoo key those burn sequences into the archive's database and have them ready."_

_"If you even think that someone might trying to lock on to your signal,"_ Anakin said softly, as he watched the key identification that she had just sent appear on his display, "_then have him burn the archive core and cut your connection,"_ he said. "_I don't want to take any chances on someone tracing your signal, okay?"_

"Okay," Padmé sighed, nodding her head. "I still can't believe that we're doing this."

_"I know,_" Anakin said, nodding his head slowly. "_But Master Yoda's right,"_ he said. "_We really don't have a choice."_

_"Contact Obi-Wan, we will,"_ Yoda said, turning his attention to her again. "_Meet at the Temple, we will, and attempt to rescue those that we can, and deactivate the homing beacon,"_ he said. "_Contact you again, we will, when successful we are."_

"I understand, Master," Padmé said, nodding her head slowly. "Artoo and I will start on the archive databases now."

Yoda looked at her for a long moment, and then smiled warmly at her. "_Correct, your companion is,_" he said, a confident smile spreading across his small face. "_Resourceful you are, indeed, just as always."_

Padmé turned a small, albeit troubled, smile back at Yoda's image on the holopad, and then she shifted her attention back to Anakin again. "Be careful, Ani," she said softly. "Please be careful."

"_I will, Angel_," Anakin said, nodding his head. "_We'll contact you soon, I promise."_ He paused a moment, as he smiled at her fondly. "_I love you,"_ he said, softly.

"I love you, too, Ani," Padmé said, softly, her eyes glistening in the cabin's light as she spoke. "Be safe."

"_We will,"_ Anakin said. "_See you soon,"_ he said, and then Padmé watched as his image flashed again, and then faded.

Padmé took a long, deep breath, and then turned and looked at Artoo as he swung his sensor dome toward her. "Okay, Artoo," she sighed, "let's get to work," she said. "We've got a lot to do."

Artoo whistled brightly, as he and Padmé both went to work.


	12. Terror In The Temple

_**Chapter 12: Terror In The Temple**_

"There he is, Master," Anakin said, nodding toward the building below them as he swung their ship around the top of the residential complex and down toward the landing platform. He sighed, with no small amount of relief, as he saw Obi-Wan raise his arm and wave up at them, his long, brown cloak waving in the breeze that cut across the platform.

Obi-Wan looked up as Anakin fired the breaking thrusters and lowered the landing gear on their ship, sending huge swirls of the dust that settled from Coruscant's late afternoon air into the air around him, as he dropped their transport onto the platform next to his own ship. He narrowed his eyes and shielded them with his hand, as he started to run toward their transport as the entry ramp began to drop down toward the dark black platform. Obi-Wan's boots only barely touched the top step, as he leapt up on the ramp, grabbing hold of the handrail as he pulled himself quickly into the ship.

Obi-Wan stopped, quickly, as Anakin stood up from the pilot's chair and took several long strides toward him, and then embraced him tightly. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Master," Anakin said, releasing his former master from his embrace after a moment and leaning back so that he could see him, holding his shoulders tightly. "It's great to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Anakin," Obi-Wan grinned, as Anakin stepped quickly over to the access panel near the door and tapped the controls quickly. As the entry ramp began to close, Obi-Wan turned his attention toward Yoda, who sat in the copilot's seat, looking over his shoulder at him.

"You're late, Master," Obi-Wan chided, taking a step toward the cockpit and standing behind Yoda's seat, as he watched him take the control yoke into his tiny hands and punch the ship's throttle as they started to lift off the landing platform again. "I beat you here by a full thirty minutes."

"Trouble, Anakin and I had, with the navigational computer," Yoda said with a smirk and a nod, as Anakin walked back to the cockpit and stood beside Obi-Wan. "If a decent repairman, I had had," Yoda said, looking over his shoulder at Anakin slyly, "then been here long ago, I would have."

"Thanks, Master," Anakin smirked, as he Yoda turned and looked back out of the cockpit window, chuckling to himself, as he pushed the throttle, sending them speeding off through Coruscant's skyline.

Obi-Wan felt his stomach churn a bit, as he looked out of the cockpit window as Yoda started to weave in and out of the massive buildings as he fell into the speeding lines of traffic that snaked constantly through the city. "I think I need to sit down," he said, holding his stomach for a moment, as he took a step toward the pilot's chair. "I'd forgotten that Master Yoda flies the same way that you do, Anakin," he said, as he placed his hand on the back of the pilot's chair and turned it toward him.

"Well, we don't like to waste time," Anakin chuckled, as he folded his arms and leaned against the cockpit bulkhead behind Yoda's chair, as Obi-Wan took a seat in the pilot's chair and swiveled it around so that he could face his two companions.

Obi-Wan shook his head, slowly, and then looked back toward Yoda. "So, Master," he said, as he slipped his arms out of his long, brown cloak, tossing it onto the chair behind him, "what's the plan?"

"Discussing that, Anakin and I were, only a moment ago," Yoda said, as he piloted them quickly across the city's skyline. "Another transport, we will need," he said, his large, round eyes fixed on the view screen as he spoke, "if we are to approach the Temple undetected."

"Padmé said that Palpatine has the Temple secured, and that he's not letting anyone in or out," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan looked up at him. "We scanned it, on the way into the city, and she was right."

"There's about eight troop transports on the landing pad, and at least twenty troopers standing guard there, and at every entrance to the building," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan listened intently. "There's no way we're getting into that building undetected in this ship," he said, shaking his head. "They'd shoot us down before we even got close."

"So I'm assuming that we're looking for a military transport, then," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head. "Something that wouldn't tip the troopers off when we land."

"Exactly," Anakin said with a nod, as Obi-Wan looked up at him, curiously.

"So where do we look for a transport?" Obi-Wan asked, tilting his head curiously. "It's not like we can just drop by the military depot in the old industrial section and say 'Mind if we borrow one of these? We promise we'll wash it when we bring it back.'"

"Master Yoda has an idea about that," Anakin said, grinning slyly and nodding his head slowly. "We should be there shortly," he said, and then Anakin turned his attention back toward Yoda, as the diminutive Jedi Master whipped them quickly out of the main flow of traffic, and toward the outer edges of the city's main populated areas.

* * *

The afternoon sun glinted brightly off the hull of their transport as Yoda banked it hard to the right, as he cleared the last few massive buildings. Obi-Wan looked out of the cockpit window, suprised, as Yoda leveled their ship and headed down toward the gas fields below them.

"I'd hoped we'd seen the last of this thing," Obi-Wan said, looking up at Anakin; he grinned down at him as he stood behind Yoda, his arms still folded across his chest.

"At least this time it's already on the ground, Master," Anakin said, and then he turned and looked out of the cockpit window toward the hull of the _Invisible Hand _as Yoda brought them down toward the massive wreck as it lay, still smoking, strewn across the gas fields where he and Obi-Wan had brought it down only a few days before.

Obi-Wan looked down toward the wreck site below them, as they passed over the length of the _Hand's _hull, just as Yoda cut the throttle and slowed their decent; he could see the maintenance crews working to dismantle the ship's hull, and he scanned the site with his eyes quickly as they passed over it. He looked, with keen interest, at the massive breach on the ship's starboard side, where the fuel decks had exploded; it was nothing short of a miracle that he and Anakin were still here.

"You're right, Master," Obi-Wan said, looking back toward Yoda with a grin. "It seems to be mostly private maintenance crews handling the clean up," he said. "Only a handful of military ships, at most."

"Inconsequential, this ship is now," Yoda nodded, scanning the site with his eyes, searching for a prime candidate as they passed over the _Hand's _twisted hull. "Light, the military presence should be," Yoda said, as Anakin took a step closer to the copilot's seat and looked out through the cockpit window over Yoda's shoulder.

"Simple, it should be," Yoda said, "to appropriate a small ship, and to do so quietly," he said, as they neared the forward part of the wreck as they passed quickly over its hull.

"What about that one there, Master?" Anakin asked, as he pointed toward the small transport that rested a short distance from the _Invisible Hand's _main command deck.

Obi-Wan and Yoda both turned their attention to the ship that Anakin had selected; it appeared to be a small gunship, lightly armored and, most likely, quite fast. Only a handful of private workers stood near it, and they could see the bright white armor of the two clone troopers that stood guard near its access ramp, the short, bright white plumes of cooling gas venting from its engines underneath its wings.

"Serve us well, that might indeed," Yoda nodded, as he swung their ship hard right and began to bring them quickly down toward the ground behind a group of small buildings that stood not far from the ship in question.

"Anakin," Yoda said, as he reached over and fired the breaking thrusters on their ship and lowered their landing gear, "Speak with Senator Organa, we must," he said, as he looked quickly over his shoulder toward his young companion. "Need his help, we will, if successful this rescue attempt is to be," Yoda said, turning his eyes back toward the cockpit window as he dropped them softly to the ground and cut the ship's engines.

"I'll get him on the comm station now, Master," Anakin replied, and Obi-Wan stood up and walked with him as Anakin started back toward the passenger's compartment of their transport.

"But how are we going to contact him?" Obi-Wan asked, curiously, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the bulkhead as Anakin sat down and activated the ship's transmitter, as he quickly began to call up the key codes that Padmé had sent them earlier. "I thought that Sidious had locked down the Senate," he said. "He's surely going to be monitoring any of the communications that any of the senators try to make right now."

"Senator Organa has one of Master Windu's encryption keys, Master," Anakin said, looking back up at Obi-Wan as Yoda walked slowly into the passenger compartment to join them. "Padmé gave us his key code a while ago," he said, as he slipped the small encryption key into the console and engaged the transmitter.

"With any luck," Anakin sighed, "he should be waiting to hear from us."

* * *

Bail Organa sat in his study, his chair turned toward the window behind his desk, his hands folded across his chest, as he stared thoughtfully out of the window, watching the first of Coruscant's suns slip slowly below the horizon.

He sighed, deeply, as he watched the buildings in the distance darken as the sun's rays cast an orange hue to the late afternoon sky. _How did we let this happen, _Bail thought to himself, shaking his head slowly as he reflected on the events of the past few years that had led them to the place where they now found themselves.

The events had seemed innocent enough, at the time, but he realized now that, from that moment when Palpatine had placed himself in the position of Chancellor, that the man who he now knew to be the greatest enemy that the Republic had ever encountered had manipulated all of them, played them for fools, as he had controlled the events that brought them to this dark, empty page of the Republic's history. He felt used, betrayed in a way that he never had before; and, though his wife had told him otherwise, he felt at least some responsibility for the deaths of Master Windu and the Jedi who had tried to stop Palpatine. He would have to find some way, somehow, to help those in the Order that were still alive, if Padmé were able to get in touch with them. He hoped, with all of his heart, that she would.

He turned quickly in his chair, somewhat startled, as he heard the door to his study suddenly fling open, as his wife burst into the room.

"Bail," Breha said, walking quickly into her husband's study, as he stood up from behind his desk, "you're receiving an urgent call," she said, as he stepped quickly out from behind his desk.

"Do you know who it's from?" he asked, as they both started quickly toward the door of his study.

"No," Breha said, shaking her head, her long hair tossing about her shoulders as she walked beside him. "But they're using Master Windu's encryption key."

Bail placed his arm around her shoulders, as he followed her through the door, nodding his head. "Come on," he said, and the two of them walked quickly down the hallway toward the com station in their main living area, and whoever it was that was trying to contact them.

* * *

Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan all watched as Bail's image appeared on the holopad in front of them.

"Senator Organa," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly; he held his small cane in his lap, turning it slowly in his knurled fingers as he sat on the bench in front of the small table. "Pleased I am, indeed, to see you."

"_As I am to see you, Master Yoda_," Bail sighed, obviously relieved. "_When we heard about Master Windu and the Council_," he said, solemnly, "_we feared that we had lost you, as well."_

_"I trust that Padmé was successful in relaying my information to you?_" Bail asked, his countenance growing more concerned as he spoke.

"Indeed," Yoda said, nodding his head. "Very resourceful, young Skywalker's companion is," he said. "Walked into a trap, we would have, if contacted us, she had not."

"_As I had feared you might,_" Bail said, nodding his head. "_How can I help you, Master Yoda?"_ Bail asked. "_I, my family, and all of my resources are at your disposal."_

"Thank you, Senator," Yoda said, and then he paused and took a long, deep breath. "Require your assistance, we do," he said after a moment, as Anakin and Obi-Wan looked on, as they sat on either side of Yoda.

"Attempting a rescue of those still in the Temple, we are," Yoda said, as Bail listened intently. "Need your assistance, we will, if successful that attempt is."

_"How can I help, Master Yoda?"_ Bail asked, as his green-hued image flickered above the transmitter.

"Transports, we will need," Yoda said, "if able to liberate any of those in the Temple, we are. Obtain these, can you, and have them ready should we need them?"

_"Certainly,"_ Bail said, nodding his head as his image flickered again. _"I can have as many as we need."_

"We're most likely not going to be able to have you land on the main platform," Anakin said, as Bail turned his attention toward him. "You're going to need to be ready to come in fast, and wherever we can manage an exit."

_"Not a problem,_" Bail replied, shaking his head. "_I can have the transports waiting near the Temple,"_ he said. "_I'll stand by on the comlink until I hear from you in regards to where you need them."_

Anakin and Obi-Wan both looked at Yoda, and watched as he nodded his head slowly and took another deep breath. "Contact you we will, then," Yoda said, "as soon as we have entered the Temple."

_"Understood, Master Yoda,"_ Bail said, nodding his head. "_And if there's anything else that I can do to help, please let me know."_ Bail paused a moment, and then took a deep breath. "_I can't help but feel that what I'm doing is painfully insignificant, in light of the circumstances."_

"We appreciate your help more than you know, Senator," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly. "Our list of allies has grown extremely thin in recent days."

_"Perhaps on the surface, Master Kenobi,_" Bail said, as he turned his attention toward him. "_But please believe me when I say that there are many of us who stand with you, and will, in any way that we can."_

The three Jedi sat quietly for a moment, and then Yoda finally spoke. "Contact you shortly, we will, Senator," he said, "if successful we are in reaching the Temple."

_"Very well,"_ Bail said, nodding his head again. _"I'll get the transports arranged, and I'll look to hear from you soon,"_ Bail said, and then he paused for a moment. "_And all of my hopes go with you."_

Yoda nodded his head again, and then they all watched as Bail's image flickered for a moment, and then faded.

"Very well," Yoda said, as he sighed deeply as he stood up and turned to regard his two companions for a moment, resting his hands on his cane. "Time it is," he said, nodding his head, "our transport, to obtain."

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan stood just behind Yoda, looking out of the front of the maintenance building toward the small gunship, and the individuals who stood near it.

They had gained entry to the building from the rear, and had made their way to the front where they now stood. Thankfully, they had found the building empty, and they stood silently as they watched the two maintenance technicians as they worked on the plasma cutting torch a short distance from the ship.

"The workers shouldn't be a problem, Master," Obi-Wan said, watching the two troopers that stood near them, their blaster rifles held securely at their chests. "But getting those two troopers without setting off an alarm could be a bit of challenge."

Yoda watched the two clone troopers that stood near the ship, watching the maintenance workers, for a long moment, and then he turned his attention back to his companions.

"Wait here," Yoda said, as he glanced up at Anakin, and then to Obi-Wan, as the two of them stepped back into the shadows on either side of the doorway. "Bring these two to you, I will," he said, as he turned his small, determined expression back toward the two troopers that stood near the ship.

Anakin and Obi-Wan nodded, and they both leaned forward a bit and watched with keen interest as Yoda walked slowly through the doorway of the maintenance building, his tiny cane tapping on the ground as he walked out a short distance from the building and then stopped, resting his hands on his cane as he watched the two troopers intently.

"If I didn't know better," Obi-Wan said, glancing back at Anakin across the hallway, "I'd almost think that Master Yoda is taking this whole thing personally."

Anakin took a long, deep breath as he watched Yoda for a moment, and then sighed as he nodded his head slowly. "Master Windu was his closest friend, Master," he said, looking up at Obi-Wan. "Could you really blame him if he was?"

Obi-Wan stood quietly for a second or two, and then turned his gaze back toward Yoda, as he stood silently, watching the two troopers as they stood watching the two workers repair the torch, their backs to him. "No," he said, shaking his head slowly. "I don't believe I would."

They both gripped the hilts of their sabers tightly, as they watched Yoda intently. "Remember," Anakin said, "if we have to kill them, go for the dark material, just below their arm, behind their chest plate," he said, as he looked back at Obi-Wan. "It won't look very convincing if there's a huge saber hole in that white armor."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, slowly, and they both watched as Yoda rapped his cane loudly on the hard ground, clearing his throat loudly, as he suddenly called out to the group that stood near the gunship.

"Looking for me, were you?" Yoda called loudly, and he watched with a grin as the troopers and maintenance workers turned around, suddenly, and looked at the tiny Jedi in shocked surprise.

"Hey!" one of the guards cried out, as he looked at the small, green-skinned stranger in surprise. "That building's off-limits," he said, as he watched Yoda turn around quickly and, chuckling loudly to himself, began to walk quickly back into the maintenance building.

"Many interesting things, there are, in these buildings," Yoda chuckled loudly, as he glanced back over his shoulder toward the surprised troopers. "Surprised, you would be, to see them, hmmm?"

The two maintenance workers looked up at the troopers as they started toward the building after Yoda. "Stay here," one of the troopers said, gesturing toward the workers as they both stood up and watched, curiously. "We'll go and get him," he said, as they both started to run toward the building. "If we're not back in five minutes, then get to the next command post and bring some help."

The larger of the two workers shook his head, as he watched the troopers run toward the building, just as the small, green fellow with the exceptionally large ears disappeared through the doorway into the darkness. "What do you think all that's about?" he asked, turning his attention to his smaller companion.

"Probably just some little weirdo out searching for trinkets to barter in the red zone," he said, shaking his head as he knelt back beside the plasma torch and returned to his work. "Small as he was, they won't have any trouble rounding him up."

The larger worker watched as the two troopers dashed through the doorway, and started to turn his attention back toward his companion; they both looked up, for a moment, as they heard a loud commotion inside the building, and looked at each other curiously as the noise suddenly died again.

"What do you suppose that was?" the smaller worker asked, turning his attention back toward the doorway; it remained hauntingly silent.

"Is everything okay in there?" the larger worker shouted, as they both looked curiously toward the maintenance building's dark doorway.

"Yeah," they heard a voice call from the darkness. "Everything's fine, we found him," the voice called with a laugh. "He put up a pretty good fight, to be such a little guy, but we've got him. We'll be out in a minute."

The two workers looked at each other and laughed, shaking their heads, as they turned and went back to repairing their plasma torch. "We've got to get this thing fixed," the smaller of the two said, "or we're never going to make quota for today."

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan both looked at each other for a moment; neither trooper moved a muscle, and they looked back at Yoda as he took a step toward them and handed the two blaster rifles to his companions.

"Remembered well, your hand-to-hand combat training, the two of you have," Yoda nodded, grinning slyly as he looked up at his two heavily breathing companions, as they took the blaster rifles from him.

"Now," Yoda said, looking up at them, his long ears perking up as he spoke, "time it is, I believe, to put on your new uniforms," he said, "and take your prisoner in for questioning."

* * *

The two maintenance workers turned and watched, with great amusement, as they saw the two troopers walk through the doorway of the maintenance building toward them. The small, green-skinned fellow between them kicked his feet and shook his long ears angrily, protesting loudly, as they held him tightly by his arms between them, dragging him forcefully across the ground toward the small gunship.

"Hey, Nate," the larger of the two workers said with a laugh, as he elbowed his friend, "take a look at this little fireball," he said, as they both started to laugh at the comical display before them. "You every seen anybody so small make that much noise?"

"Innocent I am, I tell you," the little green fellow chided loudly, as he kicked his large, three-toed feet and swung between the two troopers as they struggled to drag him toward the ship. "Mine, those things are! Found them, I did," he shouted, "fair and square!"

"Yeah, yeah," the trooper on the left said, as he held tightly to the angry little fellow's arm with one hand, as he swung the large, brown sack up and over his shoulder with the other. "You can tell it to the Chancellor when you see him," he said, as the little green fellow looked up at him with disgust.

Anakin struggled to keep himself from laughing, as he watched, through his helmet, as Yoda turned his head and gave Obi-Wan one of the loudest raspberries he'd ever heard; _Padmé's never going to believe this, _he thought to himself. He'd never seen Yoda put on such a show, and a more convincing one, he couldn't possibly have imagined. It was all that he and Obi-Wan could do to hold on to him as he thrashed about wildly.

_"PPPhhhhththtbbtttt!"_ Yoda sprayed through his teeth, as he looked up at Obi-Wan, kicking his feet wildly. "Thieves and hoodlums, the two of you are," Yoda exclaimed loudly. "Nothing but a pile of poodoo!"

"Got your hands full there, don't you?" the larger worker said with a laugh, as he watched the little green fellow thrash wildly.

"Yeah, he's a handful," the trooper on the right said with a nod. "But nothing we can't handle."

"Whatcha got in the bag, there?" Nate, the smaller of the two workers asked, gesturing to the large brown sack that the trooper on the little fellow's left carried on his shoulder.

"Just some stuff he was trying to steal," the trooper said, as they both drug the little fellow, kicking and protesting wildly, toward the entry ramp of the ship. "We're gonna take him down for questioning," the trooper said, as they walked past the workers and made their way, as quickly as they could with their thrashing little prisoner, up the entry ramp toward the ship.

"Steal?" Yoda exclaimed, angrily, as they drug him up the ramp. "Mine, those things were! Found them, fair and square, I did!"

"Yeah, you've told us that one," the trooper on the left said, as two workers laughed as they watched them struggle to drag the angry little fellow into the ship, and then press the button on the control panel on the bulkhead.

"Bantha poodoo, the both of you are, picking on one as old as I!" the two workers heard the little fellow exclaim angrily, as the ship's ramp began to close slowly. "Pick on someone your own size, you should! Eight hundred and seventy years old am I! _Pppthththbbbttt!"_

They took a step back and shielded their eyes as they laughed, as the ship's entry ramp closed just as its main engines fired. It rose up into the air, turning slowly, its thrusters kicking huge plumes of dust into the air around it, and then rocketed off into the air toward the city.

"That's got to be one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time," Nate said, as he wiped his eyes and knelt back beside the torch, as he and his friend chuckled quietly and went back to work.

* * *

"Mistress Padmé," Threepio exclaimed excitedly, as he walked hurriedly into the ship, waving his arms excitedly as she turned to face him from her seat in the pilot's chair, "Masters Ruwee and Darred have returned with the core you requested," he said. "They're bringing it aboard the ship now."

"Good," Padmé said, as she stood up and walked over to Threepio's side, as her father and brother-in-law wheeled the cart up the ship's ramp. She watched them, as they brought the rather large, heavy computer core down the access hallway toward the cockpit.

"Where do you want it, sweetheart?" Ruwee asked, looking over his shoulder at her as he drug the cart into the cockpit, its wheels clattering loudly off of the metal decking as it rolled along. Darred pushed it from behind, and Sola followed closely behind him, with Ryoo and Pooja tagging along, their young faces both excited and concerned at all of this commotion.

"Bring it over here, Dad," Padmé said, gesturing toward the corner of the cockpit where Artoo normally sat, not far from the com station. Artoo turned and wheeled himself out of the way, as Ruwee and Darred pushed the cart over toward the corner, and then took hold of the huge, round core.

"Ready?" Ruwee said, looking across the core at Darred, as they both gripped the ends of the massive storage unit tightly. "On three," he said. "One… two… three…"

Sola came and stood close by Padmé's side, as they watched the two men groan loudly, and then lift the core off of the cart and place it, with a heavy thud, on the decking near the com station.

Ruwee stood up, slowly, and placed his hands on his back as he shook his head. "That thing's heavy," he panted, as he turned and watched Padmé walk up to the core and examine it closely.

"You're right about that," Darred said, rubbing his hands slowly as Artoo rolled up beside him, watching as Padmé opened the wiring panel on the side of the core and pulled out the long interface cables. "Now what is it again, exactly, that we're going to do with this thing?"

"We're going to use it to store some very valuable information, Darred," Padmé said, as she closed the wiring panel and tossed the cables over on the floor near the open access panel in the ship's bulkhead. "Information that we can't let be destroyed," she said, as she stood up and looked at him thoughtfully.

She watched as Artoo rolled quickly over and extending his pincers, picking the cables up off the floor. "Okay, Artoo," she said, nodding at her faithful little astrodroid. "We don't have much time," she said, as he whistled and turned toward the open access panel. "We need this thing online as fast as you can manage it."

"What kind of information is it, Aunt Padmé?" Pooja said, as she looked up at her aunt with a curious, apprehensive expression.

"All of the very important information that's stored in the Jedi Temple archives," Padmé said, looking back at her niece's curious face.

"But why do we have to save it here?" Ryoo asked, as he looked up at his aunt from the spot where he stood at his mother's side. "Is something going to happen to it at the Temple?"

"Yes," Padmé said quietly, nodding her head as she gazed down at her nephew's worried face. "Something's happening at the Temple."

"Is it something bad, Aunt Padmé?" Ryoo asked quietly.

"Yes, Ryoo," Padmé sighed, softly. "It's something very bad. That's why we're doing this for Uncle Anakin."

Padmé turned and looked at Sola, the two of them exchanging worried glances for a moment, and then they both looked back at Artoo as he worked to connect the core to the ship's computer, as quickly as he could.

* * *

Anakin sat in the copilot's seat, as Obi-Wan brought their newly appropriated gunship quickly up through the last thick lane of speeder traffic as they headed directly toward the Temple. He looked out the cockpit window, as Yoda came and stood between them, watching over Anakin's shoulder as the Temple grew quickly in the window as they approached it, its tall spires gleaming, a mixture of brilliant white and gold, in the late afternoon sun.

"Now's where we find out if anyone's noticed that this ship went missing in the last fifteen minutes," Anakin said, looking over his shoulder at Yoda, as the tiny Jedi nodded his head as he looked out at the Temple ahead of them.

Anakin and Yoda glanced over at Obi-Wan as he spoke. "Hopefully," he said, as he nosed their ship up as he began his approach to the main landing platform on the east side of the Temple, "that room was far enough back where it'll be some time tomorrow before anyone hears those two yelling for help."

The three of them turned and watched in nervous silence, as Obi-Wan backed off the throttle and started their descent down to the landing platform; they could see the troopers that milled about on the dark black surface near the rows of troop transports that lined both sides of the platform.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Obi-Wan said with a long, deep sigh as Anakin and Yoda turned their attention toward him again, "that we'd have to consider sneaking into our own Temple."

"Or fighting our way out of it," Anakin sighed, as he turned and watched the setting sun glint brightly off the spire nearest them as they descended slowly toward the platform.

"I guess we'd better get these back on," Anakin said after a long pause, as he reached down and picked up the two helmets that sat on the deck next to the copilot's seat, and Yoda watched as he handed one of them to Obi-Wan, and then turned the one in his hand around so that he could see its faceplate clearly.

"I don't know how these guys manage to shoot anything," Anakin said, shaking his head disgustedly, and Obi-Wan turned and watched his young friend with a grin as he placed the helmet on his head, twisting it gingerly as he tried to get it on correctly over his long blonde hair.

Obi-Wan laughed, shaking his head as Anakin shrugged his shoulders, tapping the side of his helmet several times near the earpiece. "I can't see a thing in this helmet," he heard Anakin's tinny voice say, as he reached up and twisted it around again, grunting with displeasure as he did so.

"Hopefully," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention back to the cockpit window as he placed his own on his head as they started their final descent to the platform below, "you won't have to wear it much longer."

* * *

Commander Bartellow stood silently, watching as the small gunship dropped its landing gear and fired its breaking thrusters, rotating slowly as it settled down on the Temple's landing platform. He turned and motioned to the eight troopers that stood behind him, and they started quickly across the platform toward the ship, as its entry ramp began to descend quickly toward the dark, black platform.

He raised his hand, and the detachment behind him stopped as the two troopers stepped quickly down the entry ramp, dragging the small, green-skinned individual between them.

Commander Bartellow watched, somewhat amused, as the two troopers stepped down onto the platform and approached him, as the large-eared individual between them struggled vainly to free himself. "What have we got here?" Bartellow asked, as the two troopers stopped for a moment as they approached him.

"We caught this one over by the recovery site," Anakin said, calmly, as Bartellow looked down at Yoda, as the little Jedi Master glowered up at him utter contempt. "He was stealing stuff from one of the maintenance buildings," Anakin said, gesturing toward the brown 'sack' that hung over Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"We're taking him in now, for questioning," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as Bartellow turned his attention toward him. "We think he may have some information that could be useful in our current search for the remaining Jedi," he said, as the commander and his detachment eyed them carefully for a moment.

"Very well," Bartellow said, finally, as he watched Yoda struggle to free himself again. "Take him down to the dormitory levels," the commander said, nodding over his shoulder, as he turned and motioned toward the main entrance. "Any prisoners are supposed to be held there as they're brought in. Chancellor's orders."

"Yes, sir," Anakin said with a nod, and then he and Obi-Wan tugged on Yoda's arms, as they dragged him, still kicking and grunting in protest, toward the ornate entry doors to the Temple's main levels.

Bartellow watched them, for a long moment, as they opened the door and took their struggling captive down the hallway, and then disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan stopped suddenly, as they rounded the corner; they all stood in shock for a moment, in horrified silence, at the terrible site that lay before them.

The Temple's once peaceful and ornate hallways looked like the battlefield of some distant planet, after the hostilities had long ceased; the bodies of several young Jedi Knights lay strewn across the ornate marble floors, their weapons lying on the cold, stone floor near them, intermingled with those of the unfortunate Temple workers that they had obviously been trying to protect.

Anakin swallowed hard as he took in the terrible scene, and then turned and looked at Obi-Wan as the two of them released Yoda's arms and stood in stunned silence beside him for a long moment.

Yoda could sense the wave of despair that surged through his two companion's hearts; it was the very same despair that threatened to overcome him now, as well. He took a long, deep breath, as he reached deeply into the Force to calm himself, and then looked back up quickly at his two companions as they stood quietly beside him.

"Hurry we must," Yoda said, his own voice betraying the sorrow that flowed through him as he took in the terrible sight. "No time, have we, for our sorrows at the moment," he said, as he stepped carefully over the light saber that lay on the floor before him.

"Get to the Temple's archives we must," Yoda said. "The evidence of what has happened here, we should be able to find, on the Temple's recorders."

Anakin stood silently for another moment, as he watched Ob-Wan and Yoda start down the hallway toward the lift that led to the archives; he took a small step, and then knelt slowly on one knee beside the body of the young Jedi in front of him, reaching over and picking up the saber that lay on the ornate marble floor only a short distance from the boy's hand.

He squeezed the weapon tightly in his hand, as he turned and looked at the boy's face; he couldn't be more than eighteen years old, Anakin estimated, as he looked at him lying on the floor. The lad's eyes stared blankly up at him, a look of terror and fear still on his young face, his mouth still open, frozen in time as the boy had either cried out in fear or gasped for his last breath. Anakin took a deep breath, as he felt a mixture of despair and anger brewing deep inside of him. He reached over with his free hand and gently closed the boy's eyes, and then lifted the boy's arm up off of the floor; he wrapped the lad's cold fingers around the hilt of his weapon, and then laid his arm gently against his chest, covering the charred burn on his tunic. He looked at the boy for a long moment; _somebody's going to pay for this, _Anakin thought to himself, as he squeezed the hilt of the blaster in his hand tightly.

He looked up, finally, as he heard Obi-Wan call to him; Obi-Wan and Yoda had stopped, a short distance from him, and they stood quietly, watching him.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, watching his young friend as he stood up slowly from the fallen boy's side, "there's nothing we can do for them. We need to get to the archives," he said. He watched, as Anakin nodded his head slowly, and then took a step toward them.

"Let's go," Anakin said somberly, as Obi-Wan and Yoda turned and started back down the hallway toward the lift. He glanced back over his shoulder, watching the hallway behind them, as the three of them made their way quickly down the long hall, their boots echoing quietly through the eerie silence of the once bustling Jedi Temple.

* * *

Anakin picked up his weapon vest from the makeshift 'sack' that Obi-Wan had made from his cloak; he put his arm through one side, lifting it onto his shoulder, and then turned and looked back toward Obi-Wan and Yoda, as they both sat at the computer display in the dimly lit archive room.

"Have you found anything yet?" Anakin asked, as he put his other arm through his vest and tossed it up onto his shoulders over his dark brown tunic as he watched his companions at the console across the room from him.

"We're just getting into the surveillance recordings now," Obi-Wan said, as he looked down at the display on the desk where he and Yoda sat. "We should have something here in just a few minutes."

Anakin fastened the belt of his weapon vest securely around his waist, and then reached down and picked up his two light sabers; he rolled the two smoothly polished weapons in his hands slowly as his mind drifted back, for just a moment, to the young Jedi in the entrance hall. He could still see the terrible, angry burn on the boy's tunic where the saber had pierced his chest; he closed his eyes for a moment, and he felt his hands begin to tremble as his mind shifted to the cold, angry yellow eyes that he had seen on board the _Invisible Hand, _staring out at him from under that thick, black hood. _Please don't let it be him, _Anakin thought to himself,as he placed the saber in his right hand into its holster at his left side. He turned around, opening his eyes slowly, and he looked at his two companions for a moment, a deeply troubled look on his young face. He sighed again, deeply, as he holstered his other weapon at his right side, and then walked over and stood directly behind Obi-Wan, watching as he scrolled quickly through the massive surveillance databases.

"There's a lot of surveillance video in here," Obi-Wan said, as he spun the small control wheel on the side of the console, advancing the recording quickly as the three Jedi watched intently. "We've just got to find where the attack began."

"It couldn't have been too long ago," Anakin said quietly, shaking his head as Yoda turned his own deeply troubled face toward him. "Rigor mortis hasn't begun to set in yet," he said, his mind drifting back to the unfortunate boy once again. "Maybe an hour, two at the most."

Obi-Wan turned his head, nodding slowly as Anakin spoke, and then he turned his eyes back toward the display and began to spin the control wheel faster, as he moved the time index quickly toward the point in time that Anakin suggested. They all watched, as the figures moved quickly on the display, a blur of motion and activity, as the recording advanced quickly in front of them.

Obi-Wan stopped the control wheel quickly, as he suddenly saw a bright flash on the display. He scrolled the wheel back a few moments, and then pressed the play button; the three of them watched, in stunned silence, as the recording began to play back the events that had transpired in the Temple's main entrance, only a few hours earlier.

"No, please, no,"Anakin said softly, shaking his head slowly as he felt a wave of despair overtake him as the image appeared on the display in front of them.

Anakin felt his heart begin to sink, as he saw the dark, cloaked figure rush toward the young Jedi on the screen, the brilliant crimson blade in his gloved hands flashing brightly as he swung it wildly at him, as a series of loud cries mingled with the loud, angry hums and crashes of the light sabers that flashed on the display. He watched, as the young Jedi tried desperately to defend himself against the furious attack, as he called out frantically for help, amid the screams and shouts that filled the Temple's hallway.

Obi-Wan's mouth hung open, in stunned disbelief, as he, Yoda, and Anakin watched the horror that unfolded before them, as the small room where they sat filled with the screams and cries that echoed from the surveillance recording.

Anakin felt his heart begin to pound in his chest; he felt a wave of nausea overtake him as he watched the young library technician cower on the floor, backing away as quickly as she could, tears streaming down her young face, as the dark, menacing, cloaked form approached her, his crimson blade glowing and humming loudly at his side. _"No, no, please!" _she sobbed, as the angry Sith raised his blade up high over his hooded head, _"Please, I don't want to die!"_

Anakin turned away from the screen, squeezing his eyes shut tightly; he felt his breath come in quick, ragged gasps as the young woman's terrified scream filled the room. He took several steps away from the control station where Obi-Wan and Yoda sat, and then leaned forward against the table that stood behind them, squeezing the edge tightly in his hands.

"That's enough, Master," Anakin said loudly, bowing his head as the screams on the surveillance video continued to fill the room. He felt himself trembling, as another wave of nausea and anguish swept over him.

"I said that's _ENOUGH!_" Anakin shouted suddenly, turning his head and looking over his shoulder toward the control station where his two companions sat.

Obi-Wan felt himself snap out of the nightmare that he had been watching on the display, just as he felt Yoda's small hand on his shoulder. Those images had been so horrifying, so terrible, that he hadn't heard Anakin's agonized request to stop the video's playback. He turned and looked over at Yoda, as the tiny Jedi Master looked at him for a long moment, a look of deep sorrow on his small face.

"Obi-Wan," Yoda said quietly, as they both glanced back at Anakin as he stood silently at the table behind them. "Enough, we have seen," he said, and Obi-Wan reached over with his own trembling hand and pressed the button on the console in front of him.

Obi-Wan turned around slowly in his chair, and Yoda watched him as he stood up and walked slowly over to Anakin's side and placed his hand gently on Anakin's trembling shoulder.

Their worst suspicions had been confirmed as they had watched the horrible acts of Sidious' apprentice unfold on that small display. It had never occurred to Obi-Wan, though, as they had watched that video, how terrible it must have been for Anakin to watch it.

"I'm sorry, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, his own voice trembling as he spoke. "I'm afraid that I didn't realize…"

"I know they thought it was me," Anakin said quietly, as he reached over and took hold of Obi-Wan's arm, squeezing it tightly. "Every one of those people who died out there thought that I killed them."

"Don't think like that, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he squeezed his young companion's shoulder tightly. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for any of this."

"Yes," Yoda said, as he stood up from his chair at the console and walked over to Anakin's side, looking up at him as the young Jedi Knight turned his deeply troubled face toward him. "To Obi-Wan, you listen," he said, nodding his head.

"No work of yours, any of this was," Yoda said, holding his small cane tightly as he spoke. "The Dark Lord's doing, alone, this is," Yoda said. "Blame yourself, you must not."

Anakin nodded his head slowly, as he looked back down toward the table and closed his eyes for a moment. "The children," Anakin said, turning his eyes back up toward Obi-Wan as he squeezed his arm again tightly. "Where are the children?"

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin for a moment; he could see the deep look of concern in his young friend's glistening eyes, and he glanced back at Yoda as he stood beside the two of them. "They should have been in their rooms," Obi-Wan said, looking from Yoda back up to Anakin's troubled face. "One level down, in the main dormitory level."

Anakin reached up and wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his tunic, and then turned and walked back toward the display console, as Obi-Wan and Yoda followed him closely. "The cameras in the dorm rooms," Anakin said quietly, as he watched Obi-Wan take a seat at the console again. "Are any of the cameras in those dorm rooms working?"

Obi-Wan tapped the console in front of him quickly, as he tried to call up the surveillance cameras on the main dorm level below them. He watched the display, as it tried to call up the video feeds that he had selected; the screen segmented itself, as the cameras identifications flashed in the corner of each segment, and they watched as each one flashed, several times, and then stayed dark.

"No," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head, and looking at the display. "Something's wrong with the feeds from the dorm level," he said. "None of the cameras down there are working."

"How about communications logs?" Anakin asked, leaning forward and placing his hand on the console as he watched over Obi-Wan's shoulder as he tapped the control pad quickly. "Has anyone sent anything in or out of the Temple since all of this happened?"

"The communications logs have been quiet," Obi-Wan said, as his eyes scanned the log as it scrolled slowly across the screen in front of him. "There haven't been any communications attempts out of the Temple since…"

"Wait a minute," Obi-Wan said, as he narrowed his eyes and looked at the entry that flashed near the bottom of the display. "Someone sent a transmission out of the Temple just over an hour and a half ago," he said. "It was sent from the communications station in the Council chamber."

"Were the recorders working when that transmission was sent?" Anakin asked, as he watched Obi-Wan attempt to call up the transmission in the archive database.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he looked at the display. "The whole transmission should be here in the database."

"Playback that transmission," Yoda said, as he took a step closer to the console and watched as Obi-Wan tapped the controls quickly; they all stood in silence, as Palpatine's familiar voice filled their ears as they listened to the transmission as it replayed on the console's small speakers, along with one other hauntingly familiar voice.

"_What is it, Lord Vader?"_

"_The mission proceeds as planned, Master Sidious. I have taken the Temple, and our forces have secured the entrances on all levels. No one will leave or enter this building without our knowledge."_

"_You have done well, Lord Vader. And what of the homing beacon?"_

"_The beacon has been activated, my Lord. Any Jedi that remain should be returning to the Temple immediately."_

"_Excellent. I will be coming to the Temple within the hour. There is information that I need in the archive library. Have you tied up any loose ends that remained there?"_

"_I have but a few more to handle, my Lord. They shouldn't prove to be a problem."_

"_Very good. As soon as you are finished, I want you to take a ship and travel immediately to Mustafar. I have just told Nute Gunray and the Separatists leaders that you are coming to deliver Chancellor Palpatine to them as we agreed. As soon as you arrive, I want you to kill them all and then return here to Coruscant."_

"_Understood, Master Sidious. But what of the Jedi who return to the Temple in my absence?"_

"_I will deal with any remaining Jedi myself. Many of the Jedi who were on the outlying systems were killed in our initial attack. Any threat presented by those that remain will be insignificant. Proceed to Mustafar and contact me as soon as the Separatist leaders are dead."_

"_Understood, my Master. I'll be on my way in a few moments."_

Yoda looked up at Anakin and Obi-Wan as the transmission crackled, and then fell silent. "Arrive here soon, Sidious will," Yoda said solemnly. "Work fast, we must, if we are to complete our mission."

"We've got to get down there, as quickly as possible," Anakin said, shaking his head as Obi-Wan turned and looked up at him intently. "We've got to try to rescue those children."

"Agreed," Yoda said, as his two companions turned and looked at him as he stood by the console at Anakin's side. "Attempt to rescue the younglings, you must," Yoda said, nodding his head. "But first," he said, "get to the Council chamber, you must. Imperative it is, that you deactivate that homing beacon."

Anakin looked at Yoda curiously for a moment, as the tiny Jedi Master looked up at him and Obi-Wan. "Aren't you coming with us, Master?" he asked, as he watched Yoda take a long, deep breath.

"No," Yoda said, shaking his head slowly. "Something else, of grave importance, I must handle," Yoda said, as his countenance grew deeply serious. "Retrieve the Book of the Whills, I must, from the library in my quarters," he said, turning his eyes down toward the floor for a moment. "And several other things."

"We'll come with you, Master," Obi-Wan said, as he stood up and turned his own concerned expression toward Yoda as he stood next to Anakin. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to split up."

"No," Yoda said, shaking his head again, as he looked back up at them. "On different paths, our destinies lie," Yoda said, as he looked up at his two Jedi companions. "Deactivate the homing beacon, you must," he said, "and then attempt to rescue the younglings, and deliver them safely into Bail Organa's hands."

"If successful you are," Yoda continued, as Anakin and Obi-Wan listened to the tiny Jedi Master intently, "then go to Mustafar, the two of you must," he said, as he turned his eyes toward Anakin, "and stop the Dark Lord's apprentice."

"But, Master," Anakin said, shaking his head as he looked down at Yoda's small face, "you heard the transmission yourself," he said. "Sidious will be here any minute. We can't leave you here alone to face him by yourself."

"Deal with Sidious, I will," Yoda said, a look of grim determination spreading across his small face as he looked back up at his two companions. "Meet later, the three of us will, when complete, our missions are, if the Force is with us."

"No," Anakin said, shaking his head as Yoda looked up at him. "We can't let you face him alone, Master," Anakin said, his voice trembling and agitated. "We've already lost too much," he said. "Sidious killed Master Windu and the other Council members. If you try to face him yourself, then you'll just…"

"Anakin," Yoda said firmly, cutting his young companion off in mid sentence. "Understand and appreciate your concern, I do," he said, his countenance growing softer as he spoke. "But trust my judgment in this matter, you must."

Anakin took a long, deep breath, and he and Obi-Wan stood silently for a long time, as they watched Yoda regard the both of them proudly for a moment.

"Powerful Jedi, the two of you have become," Yoda said with a quiet smile. "And powerful friends. Fitting it is," Yoda said with a nod, "that on your shoulders, the future now rests."

"Guard well, each other," Yoda said, as he looked up at them both with no small amount of pride, and then he turned his attention back toward Anakin, regarding him thoughtfully for a long moment.

"Guard well your companion, Anakin," Yoda said, his expression growing deeply serious, "and your younglings. Your first, and most important responsibility, that is," Yoda said, his voice relaying the urgency of what he now told the young Jedi, just as it had that night in Obi-Wan's residence.

Anakin looked at Yoda for a long moment, and then nodded his head slowly. "Yes, Master," he said quietly, as he looked at Yoda's small, determined face. "I will," he said. "I promise."

"Now," Yoda said, stepping to the side of the room and gesturing toward the door ahead of him, "Your mission awaits. Urgent it is, that you get on with it, and I on with mine."

Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other for a moment, and then Anakin watched as Obi-Wan turned toward Yoda. "All right, Master," Obi-Wan said with a resigned sigh, nodding his head. "We'll contact you as soon as we get to Mustafar."

"Very good," Yoda said with a nod. "Go now," he said, as he looked up at both of them again with a troubled smile. "And may the Force be with you."

They all looked at each other for another long moment, and then Yoda watched as Anakin and Obi-Wan walked past him, and carefully opened the door at the end of the archive room where they stood. They stepped through the doorway and into the hall, and Anakin turned and looked back at Yoda, his young face deeply troubled, as the tiny Jedi smiled back at him.

"Be careful, Master," Anakin said, quietly. "We don't need to lose you, too."

"Careful, I will be," Yoda said, with a nod, and he watched as Anakin stepped out into the hallway and let the door to the archive room close slowly behind him.

Yoda took another long, deep breath and stood quietly for a long moment, as he held his small cane thoughtfully in his hands. He turned slowly, and made his way toward the doorway, his small cane echoing off the dark, empty room as he walked. He raised his hand, reaching into the Force, and the heavy door swung open effortlessly; stepping through the open door, Yoda made his way toward his chambers, as the archive's heavy door closed slowly behind him.

* * *

Anakin looked back over his shoulder, watching the hallway behind them intently as Obi-Wan placed his hand on the identification scanner that hung on the wall beside the Chamber doors. Obi-Wan frowned, as he heard the defiant buzz as the scanner refused to operate; he reached down and took hold of the handles to the doors that led to the Council chamber.

"They won't open," Obi-Wan said quietly, as he shook the two tall doors hard, as Anakin turned and watched him intently. "The Temple's security systems are offline. The lock won't disengage."

"Then disengage it manually," Anakin said, looking up at Obi-Wan with a sly grin, and he watched as his former mentor reached down to his belt and retrieved his weapon.

Anakin glanced back over his shoulder again, as Obi-Wan ignited the blade of his weapon, and then turned and watched, somewhat surprised, as Obi-Wan thrust the bright blue blade through the gap between the doors and quickly slid his blade upward, slicing cleanly through the locking mechanism.

Anakin looked at the weapon in Obi-Wan's hand with keen interest, as he extinguished the blade and returned it to his belt. "Interesting saber you've got there, Master," Anakin said quietly, as Obi-Wan turned and looked at him. "What happened to yours?"

"One of General Greivous' droids got lucky when he took a pot shot at me," Obi-Wan grinned, as he turned toward Anakin, reaching down with his left hand and taking hold of the door's handle tightly. "I needed a replacement, so I relieved the good General of this one just before I left."

Anakin smiled, as he watched Obi-Wan take a step back, and then throw his shoulder hard against the door with a loud grunt. The heavy door swung open quickly, banging loudly off the inside wall of the Council chamber, as Obi-Wan and Anakin rushed into the empty chamber, their weapons held tightly in their hands as they scanned the interior of the room quickly.

"Nobody here," Anakin said, as the two of them made their way quickly toward the head of the room, to the smooth, round obelisk that stood behind Masters Yoda and Windu's seats.

Anakin watched, as Obi-Wan tapped in the access sequence on the control pad. He looked at up Obi-Wan's face, just in time to see the angry frown that spread over his old mentor's countenance as they heard the dull, defiant buzz as he tried to enter the code.

"Damn," Obi-Wan said, as he slammed his hand down hard beside the display, the sharp sound echoing through the empty chamber. "He's changed the access code," Obi-Wan said, as he looked back up at Anakin. "We can't shut it off."

"Can't you just cut the access door open and destroy it?" Anakin asked, as he looked down at the panel as Obi-Wan keyed the sequence again; again, the panel buzzed at them defiantly, flashing its bright yellow error message at them in the chamber's dim light.

"No," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head as he looked back up at Anakin. "The transmitter's got its own separate power system," he said. "It's designed to keep sending out the homing signal until someone powers it off from the console down here. If we just destroy this console without powering down the transmitter first," Obi-Wan said, "then the homing beacon will keep operating."

"Where's the power supply for the transmitter?" Anakin asked, as Obi-Wan looked down at the console in front of them, his brow furrowing deeply as he watched the yellow error message flash up at them.

"It's built into the transmitter itself," Obi-Wan said. "It's housed in the top of the Temple's main spire. The only way to get to it is from the outside of the building."

"We don't have time for that," Anakin said, shaking his head. "We need to shut that transmitter down now," he said, "and get down to those dormitory levels and rescue those children before Sidious gets here."

Obi-Wan turned his frustrated face down toward the console again; he stood quietly, for a long moment, and then he glanced over at the computer console in the corner of the room thoughtfully.

"We can't shut the transmitter down, because access to the power system is locked in this console," Obi-Wan said, as he looked back down at the console thoughtfully. "But the data that's transmitted by the beacon is controlled by another part of the system."

"If we can't shut the transmitter down," Obi-Wan said, as he turned and smiled back at his young friend, "then maybe we can change the message."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan with a grin, nodding his head slowly, and the two of them walked quickly across the room to the computer console that stood near the chamber's entrance. Anakin stood behind his old master and watched as Obi-Wan sat down in the chair at the console, and began to call up the Temple's computer system as quickly as he could.

* * *

"How's it going?" Sola asked, as she walked up behind Padmé and placed her hands gently on her younger sister's shoulders.

"We're moving data," Padmé sighed, as she looked up over her shoulder at her sister's face from her seat in the pilot's chair. "The core seems to be working," she said, as she looked back down to the display in front of her and watched as it cycled quickly as all manner of plans, designs, and information scrolled by.

"It's just a matter of time, now," Padmé said, turning her gaze to Artoo as he sat at the communications terminal, his data probe spinning the control wheels quickly as he transferred the data from the _Destiny's _on board computer to the massive core that stood, humming softly, behind him.

"That's an awful lot of information," Sola sighed, shaking her head as she watched the screen flash by at an incredible rate. "Do you have any idea how long it's going to take?"

"Not really," Padmé said, as she watched the indicators flash on the core's display as it stored the precious archive data as quickly as Artoo could fill the ship's buffers and write it. "I've told Artoo to skip over the stuff like topographical maps, geographic data, and ship registries," she said. "That weeds out a big chunk of it, but the amount that's left is still huge."

"Is there anything we can do to make the transfer faster?" Sola asked, as Padmé looked up at her again.

"No," Padmé sighed, shaking her head as she folder her arms across her chest and looked back at the display in front of her. "All we can do now is wait," she said, and then she took another deep breath, as Sola squeezed her shoulder again tightly. "And hope."

* * *

"We're in," Obi-Wan said, the display in front of him casting a bluish glow over his bearded face, as he looked over his shoulder at Anakin.

"So what do we say?" Anakin said, as he looked down at him with a deeply curious expression.

Obi-Wan looked back down at the display in front of him, raising his eyebrows curiously as he took a deep breath; he had been so concerned with getting into the system so that they could change the beacon's message, that he hadn't given any thought as to _what _they were going to change it to. "I'm not sure," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head as he looked back up at Anakin's face. "The Code says that only the senior members of the Council can operate the beacon," he said, as he looked back at the computer in front of him again. "I never thought I'd have to do this."

"Well," Anakin said, as he reached up and patted Obi-Wan's shoulder reassuringly, "Master Yoda's not here, Master," he said, "so that makes you the senior member of the Council, as far as I can see."

"It's up to you," Anakin said quietly, shrugging his shoulders as Obi-Wan turned and looked up at him again.

Obi-Wan turned and looked at the display for a long moment. "Sidious told Vader that most of the Jedi who were in command of the battalions were killed in the initial attack," Obi-Wan said, his tone growing deeply somber. "If that's true, then it would mean that there aren't very many of us left alive."

"It's a pretty fair bet that he'll use the clone army to hunt the rest of us down, one by one, if he's able to get his hands on that data in the archives," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan looked up at him thoughtfully. "Maybe we should tell them to lay low until we can make sure the archives are destroyed so that Sidious can't use them."

"And then we can regroup later, once Master Yoda's had time to come up with a strategy for dealing with Sidious," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly as he looked back at the console in front of him.

"We need everyone that's left," Anakin said, nodding his head. "We don't need them out where the clones can find them, until we can get rid of Sidious and regain control of the army."

"Simple enough," Obi-Wan said with a nod, as he started to key the message quickly into the system in front of him. "In that case, we do what any other creatures do when they're threatened," he said with a sigh. "We hide."

* * *

Yoda reached up and pulled the large, thick book down from its place near the top of his bookshelf; he held it, almost reverently, as he ran the fingers of his right hand gently over the cover. He turned around, slowly, and placed the book down on the table near the center of his chambers.

He sighed deeply, as he ran his hand over the cover again, looking at the ancient script scrolled across it. It was old, far older than him, and the many repairs and patches on the cover and bindings of the heavy manuscript bore witness to that fact, as he gently opened the cover and read the inscription on the faded, yellow parchment inside:

_The Book Of The Whills_

_By Guidance Of_

_The Living Force_

_For The_

_Knowledge and Direction_

_Of_

_The Order_

It had existed since Kaja Sinis, the first Jedi, had assembled it and penned the first pages ages ago; contained in its hundreds of cracking, yellowed pages were the deepest secrets, the most critical knowledge of the workings of the living Force that the Order possessed.

Yoda turned the pages carefully, as he flipped midway through the book, laying it open gently on the table, as he searched for the information that he needed, now. The Temple's archives were a vast resource, filled with information of the utmost importance, a virtual storehouse of knowledge that the Jedi Order had built and maintained over hundreds of years; yet, it paled in comparison to what it was that he now sought, as he turned several more pages, and then took a long, deep breath as he stopped, and again read the inscription on the page in front of him:

_Understanding The_

_Mysteries of The Sith_

_The Servants Of_

_The Dark Side_

It was here, in this book; Yoda sighed again, as he looked up and gazed for a moment out of the window of his chambers, watching the afternoon sun dip down below the city's massive skyline. The clouds glowed a deep gold, as the setting suns cast a golden hue to the many buildings, their lights beginning to twinkle in the waning sunlight.

They had learned much, in the Order's infancy about the Sith; the servants of the Dark Side of the Force had been far more prevalent in those early days. Indeed, the Order had almost died once before, and the Sith had reigned for nearly five hundred years, driving the true Jedi to the brink of extinction in their cold-blooded quest for riches and power. But they had prevailed, thanks to those original founders and the knowledge that they had passed down to their padawans, and the servants of the living Force had seen the Sith driven to extinction; it had been over a millennia since they had last been seen, and the Book and all of its knowledge had been all but forgotten, as the Jedi had become the guardians of peace and justice as the Galactic Republic had been born.

Yoda could only hope, as he closed the book and looked at its cover thoughtfully, that the information that it contained would help them now, as he and his two companions struggled to find a way to stop the dark lord before all hope, at last, was lost.

* * *

"That's it," Obi-Wan said, as he tapped the control pad again, and watched as the transmitter acknowledged the message and began transmitting it. "It should be on its way," he said, as he looked up at Anakin as he stood beside him.

"Did you send a new activation code?" Anakin asked, as he reached down to retrieve the small homing device from his belt.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, just as he heard the two high-pitched tones that began to echo from Anakin's tracking device as he pulled it from his belt. "Even if they've turned them off," he said, as Anakin activated the small display, "they should get a new alert that will force them to look at the message."

Anakin smiled, as he watched the new message scroll by on the display. "Perfect," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a nod. "It's coming through now."

"We need to lock that transmitter down so that no one can change the message," Anakin said, silencing the device and returning it to his belt as Obi-Wan silenced his own. "Can we lock the programming system out so that no one can activate it?"

"I think so," Obi-Wan said; his fingers flew across the control pad quickly, as he accessed the transmitter's system once again, and began to key in a long series of encryption codes. "We can lock it down and encrypt it using Master Yoda's key," he said, as he reached down to his belt and retrieved the key that Yoda had given him earlier. "That way only us, or Master Yoda, will be able to unlock it again."

"Perfect," Anakin said, watching over Obi-Wan's shoulder as his old mentor slipped the key into the slot on the system and locked the computer down.

"Done," Obi-Wan said, as the screen went blank after a moment; he reached down and popped the key out of the slot, returning it to his belt as he stood up quickly and turned to face Anakin again. "Nobody's changing that message without our knowledge," he said, nodding at his young companion. "They'll have to just knock out the transmitter."

"Come on," Anakin said, as he reached over and squeezed Obi-Wan's arm tightly. "We've got to get down there and rescue those children."

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin's deeply concerned face; he had never seen Anakin so determined or worried before, but it warmed his heart, somehow, as he saw the deep compassion in his young friends eyes. Maybe it was because he would soon be a father himself, Obi-Wan thought, or maybe he was somehow picking up on Padmé's concern for the children. But whatever the reason, he had never seen Anakin so concerned with the young padawan's before.

"Lead the way," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly, and he followed closely behind him as the two of them ran toward the Council chamber's doorway, their weapons held tightly in their hands as they bolted through the door and down the hallway to the lift that lead to the dormitories below.

* * *

Yoda closed the heavy book, carefully, and then looked thoughtfully out of his window again. He stood there for a long moment, and then he walked to his small desk near that same window, and began to sort quickly through the array of padawan records that he kept in the large drawer near the bottom.

His small fingers moved, quickly, as he flipped through the rows of translucent data cards; he stopped, as his eyes spotted the one he was searching for, and he lifted it up in front of him, eyeing the name inscribed on the front of it with deep interest:

_Skywalker, Padmé_

"Mysterious indeed, the ways of the Force are," Yoda mused quietly to himself, as he looked at the data card, turning it thoughtfully in his small hand. Rarely had he found himself at a loss to explain anything, over his eight hundred and seventy plus years; yet he now found himself humbled, greatly, as he reflected on the young woman whose test results he now held in his small hand.

Qui-Gon had believed with all of his heart that Anakin was the chosen one. He had believed it so strongly, that his only request as he lay dying in Obi-Wan's arms was that his student accept Anakin, against his own judgment, and train him as a Jedi. He had agreed, and Yoda had watched, with great concern and foreboding, as the lad had grown, his young heart torn and angry, his future clouded by uncertainty and dark shroud of the Dark Side.

And then Padmé had entered Anakin's life, and the dark veil had lifted from his heart. Yoda knew, beyond any doubt, the horrible fate that Padmé had saved him from, that dark night in that tent on Tatooine. It had been her love, her devotion, her commitment to Anakin that had drawn him away from the Dark Side, and allowed the Force to work though him as it had truly intended.

Yoda took another deep breath and sighed again, as he placed Padmé's test results securely in the pocket of the small belt at his waist. He had to protect her, and he couldn't risk the chance that Sidious might discover what it was that he already knew about her, and he pulled his robe back over his belt as he fastened the small pocket securely shut.

It was truly amazing, and humbling, what the Force had accomplished through this loving young woman, without her even truly knowing it. Yoda smiled, shaking his head, as he realized, for the first time, how important this girl, who Anakin loved so deeply, really was.

She had saved Anakin, that much he knew. She was working now, as hard as she could, over half a quadrant away, to save their history, all the knowledge the Order had amassed over the centuries, before it fell into the Dark Lord's hands.

The visions that the Force had allowed him to see were clearer now; how fitting, Yoda thought to himself, that as Padmé worked to save their past, she carried their future in her womb.

Yoda looked back out of the window thoughtfully for a long moment; Padmé had saved Anakin. She was working to save their past. And she now carried their future, and the hope of the entire galaxy, inside her.

Yoda glanced down at his waist, as he heard the high-pitched tone sound again on the small transmitter in his belt. He reached down quickly, pulling the small device from its place near his saber, and looked at it intently, as the message scrolled across its tiny display.

_Urgent message from the Council:_

_Disregard homing beacon. All Jedi en route to the Temple are to turn back immediately. The Temple has been taken by clone forces now in league with the Sith. All Jedi are to avoid contact with the Republic Army and its agents. Protect yourselves at all costs, and await further instructions from the Council._

_May the Force be with us all._

_End of Message._

Yoda smiled, as he watched the message begin to repeat itself on the small transmitter, and then he silenced it and returned it to its place on his belt. "Resourceful, indeed," he sighed, "those two are."

Yoda turned back toward the table, and he started to reach down and take the large, heavy book into his hands, when he stopped, suddenly, as he heard the latch rattle on the door to his chambers.

He turned around quickly, watching as the handle began to move, as he felt the dark, heavy presence of the dark side closing in around him.

* * *

"Jedi!" the trooper yelled, scrambling for his weapon as the other members of his battalion turned and opened fire on the two Jedi Knights that bolted through the lift doors as they opened, the sound of their lightsabers filling the long hallway as they powered them up.

The trooper who had sounded the alarm never managed to fire his weapon; Anakin swung the blade in his right hand around hard, making short work of the trooper as it struck him cleanly at his shoulder and sent him collapsing to the floor with a loud cry of pain. Anakin reached down quickly and pulled his other weapon from its holster; its gleaming white blade surged forth with a loud hum as he swung it up quickly in front of him, deflecting several laser blasts back down the hallway, where they caught two of the surprised troopers squarely in the neck, sending them flying backwards and crashing to the hard stone floor.

There were at least twenty of them, Obi-Wan guessed, as he and Anakin stood just outside of the lift as the troopers began to scramble, shouldering their blasters and firing wildly at them. He swung his blade up quickly, sending the barrage of laser fire back toward the troopers, taking several of their attackers out as he looked down the long hallway toward the entrance of the padawan's living quarters. Obi-Wan saw the clone commander near the doorway fire at them several times, and then look down as he scrambled to get the comlink from the belt at his waist.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted over the din of frantic laser fire, as he turned a group of blasts back toward their attackers, and then spun his blade around quickly as the trooper closest to him began to rush toward him, firing wildly. "Down the hallway, by the door," he yelled, as he caught the blasts with his shimmering blue blade, turning them harmlessly aside. "Stop him before he tells the others that we're here!"

Anakin glanced over, watching the brilliant array of sparks that erupted as Obi-Wan's blade sliced cleanly through the end of the blaster in the trooper's hand, and then sent the unfortunate clone collapsing limply to the floor as Obi-Wan swung his blade back toward him, thrusting it effortlessly through his brilliant white armor. Anakin looked back down the hallway, just in time to see the battalion's commander pull the comlink from his belt and lift it to the faceplate of his helmet; he drew the saber in his right arm back and, reaching deeply into the living Force that flowed so powerfully through him, he threw it down the hallway as hard as he could.

It was a skill that few Jedi ever mastered, and Obi-Wan spun around and watched in amazement as Anakin's weapon whirled down the corridor, spinning end over end like a brilliant, humming white pinwheel, as the troopers near the center of the long, ornate hallway dove for cover amid the columns that lined the walls.

The commander looked up, just as he pressed the button on the comlink to activate it; he tried to scream, but he never managed to utter a sound as the brilliant white glow of Anakin's blade filled the faceplate of his helmet as its blade struck him squarely between the eyes, piercing his helmet and embedding itself deeply into the wall behind him, sending the comlink clattering to the floor.

Anakin stretched out his hand, and his weapon lept from the wall as the commander's body slumped to the floor by the doorway; Anakin snatched it from the air, spinning it quickly up beside him, his two blades whirling in perfect symmetry as he and Obi-Wan began to make their way quickly down the hallway, their weapons whirling and flashing brightly as the troopers began to fall quickly under the flashing blades as they tried in vain to stop the two determined Jedi Knights.

* * *

Yoda took a step back toward the window, as the door to his chambers opened slowly; he turning a determined, almost angry expression to the dark, cloaked silhouette that stood in the shadows outside of his doorway, and then began to walk slowly toward him into the dim light of his chambers.

"Well, well," Palpatine said, as the tiny Jedi master look up at him with contempt. "It's been far too long, Master Yoda," he said, nodding his head and smiling at Yoda politely. "I had hoped that you would have come to see me with your companion, Master Windu," he said as he stopped just inside the doorway. "I was quite disappointed when I saw that you weren't with him."

"Sorry I am not," to have disappointed you, Chancellor," Yoda said, as he stood completely still, his small hands folded in front of him. He paused for a moment, and then looked up at Palpatine intently as he continued. "Or should I say, Master Sidious?"

"It was quite rude of you not to join your companions, Master Yoda," Palapatine said, taking a deep breath and sighing deeply as he spoke. He took a step inside the door of Yoda's chambers and walked up slowly to the small bookshelf just inside the doorway. He ran his fingers down the bindings of the books on the top shelf, and then rubbed his fingers together lightly as he looked at them. "And Master Sidious will do just fine," he said, looking back at Yoda with a confident smirk, as his voice suddenly shifted, changing to the deep, menacing voice that Yoda had heard in Sidious' transmissions.

"A Master of the Dark Side, you are, Sidious, and an agent of pure evil," Yoda said, following the grey haired Chancellor with his eyes as he turned from the bookshelf and took a step closer to him. "Many innocent lives, you and your apprentice have taken this day."

"They night is still young, my friend," Sidious said, as he reached down and pushed back the edge of his cloak; Yoda looked down at the curved hilt of the lightsaber that hung at his waist for a moment, and then turned his eyes back toward Sidious, eyeing him with utter contempt.

"So," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly as Sidious looked down at him. "Come now, to destroy me, you have."

"The Jedi will soon be extinct, Master Yoda," Sidious said, as he watched Yoda turn and face him with a stare of contempt that would have suited someone much, much larger. "My victory is complete," he said, nodding his head and smiling at Yoda with a haunting, evil smirk. "The time of the Jedi is over."

Sidious watched, as Yoda closed his eyes; his confidence faltered, for just a moment, as he felt the strong tremor that suddenly surged through the Force as Yoda reached deeply down into it, as he sought to find the vision that the Force had revealed to him only a few nights before.

Yoda turned his head, slightly, as the image flashed through his mind again, and then he opened his eyes and looked back at the grey haired Sith Lord that stared down at him. "Confident you are, Sidious," Yoda said, his face growing even more determined and angry. "But tell you this, I will."

"Won this day, you may have," Yoda said, as he took a step closer to the Dark Lord of the Sith, as he reached down and pushed the edge of his own tiny robe back, revealing the small saber that hung at his belt. "But lose the battle, in the end, you will, just as the prophecy has promised."

"Master Windu spoke of your pitiful prophecy," Sidious smirked back at Yoda, as he lowered his own hand toward the smoothly curved weapon that hung at his side. "Just before he died at the hands of my apprentice."

"Fullfilled, that prophecy will be," Yoda said, as Sidious glanced down at the saber at Yoda's waist; the smile on his face was gone, as he looked back at Yoda's flashing, angry eyes. "Repaid richly, you will be, for your treachery, and driven to extinction, once and for all, you and your kind will be."

An angry frown began to spread over Sidious' face, as Yoda took yet another step toward him. "And a new prophecy, will I share with you," Yoda said, as he stopped and dropped his small hand down toward the saber that hung at his waist.

"The light that pierced the darkness will bind them together," Yoda said, as he pulled his tiny saber from his belt as Sidious reached for his own, "and perish, you will, by the joined hands of the ones you sought to destroy."

Sidious' yellow eyes began to glow brightly in the dim light, as he glared down at the defiant little Jedi Master. Yoda ignited the brilliant green blade of his saber, and swung it hard as leapt toward the Dark Lord of the Sith, crying out loudly as his blade crackled and hissed wildly as he lashed out at Sidious, over and over.

* * *

Obi-Wan swung his blade around cleanly, taking out the last trooper that stood between him and the entrance to the dorm rooms; he turned around quickly, just as he heard the lift doors open again at the end of the hallway.

Anakin swung the blade in his right hand around hard, sending the trooper that attacked to the floor with an anguished cry, and then he turned and looked back over his shoulder, just in time to see the five clone troopers leap from the lift and level their weapons at them.

"I'll take care of these guys," Anakin said, turning and look back at Obi-Wan, as he nodded at the doors that led to the padawan's dorms. "You go round up the children."

Obi-Wan nodded, and he watched for a few seconds as Anakin leapt into the center of the hallway, the humming, white blades of his two sabers flashing brightly as he began to send their attacker's blasts back down the hall as the small group of troopers rushed toward them.

Obi-Wan spun around, closing the distance between himself and the doorway; he didn't bother with the locking mechanism, as he thrust the blade of his weapon through the gap in the doors and swung it up hard, sending another array of sparks to the ornate marble floor as his blade sliced effortlessly through the locks. He took a step back, and leaned back on his right leg as he kicked the doors hard near the handles, sending them flying open, and then he rushed into the recreation area that stood just inside the entrance.

Obi-Wan's boots slid across the smooth floor for a short distance as he stopped suddenly, a powerful wave of despair flowing through him as his eyes took in the terrible sight in front of him. The large room was a shambles; its simple furnishings and recreational equipment lay broken and strewn throughout the room, and the walls bore the deep, dark burns where the saber blades had glanced off of them as the older padawans had struggled in vain to defend themselves against their fierce attacker.

He felt his heart begin to sink, and he took another halting step forward as he looked down at the young Twi'lek girl that lay on the floor in front of him, her small hand still clutching the saber in it tightly as she lay, along with her nine companions, in silence on the cold marble floor. Obi-Wan knelt beside her, the blade of his weapon still humming and glowing brightly in his right hand; he closed his eyes for a moment, as he felt the overpowering wave of despair flow through him again as he powered down the saber in his hand.

_We're too late, _he thought to himself, as he opened his eyes and looked at her young face; she couldn't be more than thirteen years of age. Obi-Wan felt his heart cry out with agony as he looked at her, and he reached up with his left hand and gently closed her beautiful green eyes. He closed his own, taking a long, deep breath, and then he looked up slowly as he glanced quickly around the room.

They were all of similar age, as far as he could tell; the children, the younger ones, were nowhere to be seen. Obi-Wan felt another wave of despair sweep over him, and he struggled, as hard as he could, to drive away the terrible images that flashed through his mind as he considered what might have happened to them. He turned around quickly, just as he heard the sound of Anakin's boots as his companion rushed through the door and into the room with him.

Anakin stopped, suddenly, as the terrible, icy chill ran through his body as his eyes took in the terrible destruction before him; he glanced around the room, his breath coming fast and shallow, and he felt a terrible wave of despair and hopelessness sweep though his heart as he saw the bodies of the teenagers that lay strewn about the room. He powered down his weapons, and he felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked down at Obi-Wan as he knelt beside the young girl's lifeless body.

"No," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly, his voice barely audible as Obi-Wan turned his sorrowful face up toward his young companion. "It can't be."

"I'm afraid we're too late, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he looked up at his companion, his own voice betraying the emotions that tugged at his heart as he looked back at the young girl that lay beside him.

"They all died fighting," Obi-Wan said quietly, as he turned his troubled eyes back toward his young companion. "It looks like they were trying to protect the younger ones, he said, as Anakin stared down at him in disbelief.

"They're all gone," he said, as he looked back at the young girl's lifeless body again. "Vader must have taken them, or…" Obi-Wan stopped, closing his eyes; he couldn't finish voicing that terrible thought.

Anakin glanced around the room quickly, his eyes blinking back the tears that welled up in them as he searched the room frantically, looking for any sign of the younglings; there were no bodies, no sign of them anywhere; they were just gone.

Obi-Wan looked up at his young friend as he took a step closer toward him, and then dropped to his knees, his weapons clattering to the floor near him on the hard, cold floor. Obi-Wan watched in silence, as Anakin reached up slowly, and gently touched the young girl's cheek as she lay in front of them, not far from the bodies of the others.

Anakin cringed, his heart leaping into his throat as he felt the coolness of her skin beneath his fingertips. "We failed them, Master," he whispered, as he gazed at the beautiful young girl through the haze of tears that filled his eyes, gently taking her cold, lifeless hand into his own and squeezing it tightly.

"We failed them all," he said again, soft and brokenly, as he clenched his fist tightly; he hung his head sadly, placing his free hand over his eyes, and he started to sob quietly as the terrible wave of anguish and remorse swept through his heart.

Obi-Wan's own heart was breaking, as he watched his young companion weep quietly as he held the young girl's hand tightly in his own; he reached over and placed his hand gently on Anakin's trembling shoulder as reassuringly as he could, and then turned his own eyes back toward the doorway as he swallowed hard, fighting to control his own emotions. His own heart aching with sorrow, he closed his eyes and squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly as his young friend sobbed quietly beside him.

* * *

Threepio stood quietly at Padmé's side, as she and Sola watched Artoo as he worked as quickly as he could, transferring the precious data from the Jedi's huge storehouse of knowledge into the core that hummed and rattled behind him as his data probe spun the control wheels at his station furiously.

Padmé closed her eyes suddenly, raising her hand to her mouth and shaking her head, slowly, as she began to sense the terrible anguish that flowed through Anakin's heart. "No," she said softly, as she shook her head slowly in stunned disbelief as the realization of what it was that so tormented her husband's heart became all too painfully clear to her.

Threepio turned his attention toward Padmé as he heard her soft, troubled cry. "Mistress Padmé," he said, his electronic voice conveying his concern as he looked at her, "Are you all right?"

Sola turned and looked at her, her countenance growing deeply worried as she took hold of Padmé's arm gently; she could feel her sister start to tremble, and she saw the tears that welled up in her eyes as she opened them and looked back at her, shaking her head slowly. "What's wrong, Padmé?" she asked, as Padmé closed her eyes and began to sob softly.

"The children," Padmé said, as several tears streaked slowly down her cheek as Sola turned toward her, placing her hands gently on her sister's shoulders. "Oh, Sola," Padmé sobbed, as Sola closed her eyes and wrapped her arms comfortingly around her, "Something's happened to the children."

Artoo whistled, low and forlornly, and he stopped spinning the control wheels for a moment, swinging his sensor dome around slowly, watching in silence for a moment as Padmé sobbed softly in her sister's arms.

"Artoo," Threepio said, quietly, turning his attention from Padmé and looking down at his little round companion. "You'd better keep working. Mistress Padmé says we don't have much time."

Artoo whistled again, sadly, and he swung his dome back toward his work, as he started to spin the control wheels at the console again, moving the data from the archives into the core behind him as quickly as he could.

Sola felt her own eyes begin to sting from the tears that stood in them as she hugged Padmé tightly, squeezing her own eyes shut as she realized the horrible truth that her sister was sensing.

* * *

Yoda leapt back away from Darth Sidious, his breath coming fast and hard, as he watched the Dark Lord reach deeply into the dark side of the Force, and throw the small table that stood between them through the air and against the far wall near the window.

Yoda turned and looked, for an instant, as he watched the precious Book of The Whills strike the wall and fall to the floor face down, it's deeply yellowed pages folded and crumpled as it lay open, face down, on the thick carpeting of his chambers.

He turned back, just in time to bring his small blade up and turn Sidious' vicious stroke aside; Yoda glance up toward the bookshelf near his wall, and stretched out his hand, quickly reaching into the Force, tearing the heavy shelf from the wall and sending it flying toward his attacker.

Sidious turned around quickly, raising his hand, and deflected the shelf away from him, sending it crashing back against the door of Yoda's chambers, sending the books and papers on it flying though the room in all directions.

"Come now, Master Yoda," Sidious said, glaring at Yoda angrily as he swung his crimson blade down hard on the tiny Jedi again, swinging his blade first left, then right. "Why prolong the inevitable?"

"Only inevitable," Yoda said angrily, as he turned each blow aside harmlessly, "your ultimate defeat is, Sidious," he said, and he leapt into the air again, reaching deeply down into the Force as he swung his small blade with incredible speed.

Sidious swung his blade wildly, as Yoda rained blow after blow down on him, driving him back toward the doorway of his chambers; he looked down, and he saw the look of determination flash in Yoda's eyes as his blade moved quickly, encasing him in a brilliant green glow, as their blades crashed in violent opposition, over and over again.

Sidious reached down deeply into the dark side, summoning all of his strength, as he suddenly stretched out his hand and pushed, hard, as Yoda lunged at him again.

He caught the tiny Jedi in mid swing, and he watched with satisfaction as he went flying through the air across his chambers, striking the wall behind him hard with a loud groan, and then slumped down toward the floor.

Sidious extended his hand again, and he unleashed an incredibly powerful bolt of brilliant blue Force lighting toward Yoda, as he struggled to get back to his feet.

Yoda leapt up, quickly, stretching out his hand as Sidious lunged at him; he stretched out his small hand, reaching deeply into the Force and closing his eyes for a second as the powerful bolt of energy struck his outstretched palm.

Yoda's move caught Sidious completely by surprise, and he screamed in agony as the powerful bolt of Force lighting suddenly surged back from Yoda's palm, striking the Dark Lord squarely in the face.

* * *

Padmé sobbed softly in Sola's arms, her heart aching along with Anakin's as her heart and mind were filled with thoughts of the children that he had been searching for. _Why? _Padmé thought to herself, as her heart cried out in anguish. _Why did this have to happen to those innocent children? What have they done with them?_

The pain was almost unbearable, as she felt the combined agony of her own heart, along with Anakin's. _Please, _Padmé thought to herself, as she stretched out with her feelings toward the Force that flowed through her, the Force that she was just beginning to understand, with Anakin's help. _Please help me make the pain go away, _she thought, as she felt another wave of love and compassion for those lost young ones surge through her heart.

Padmé jumped, as a vivid image suddenly flashed through her mind like a bolt of lightning; it frightened her, somewhat, as she felt the strange sensation flow through her as she sobbed softly in her sister's arms. She felt her breath catch in her throat, as she saw them, just for an instant.

_They sat together in small groups, clinging to each other in the darkness, and she could feel the terrible fear and pain that surged through their young hearts as they cried quietly in the cramped, dark space._

Padmé squeezed her eyes shut, as the image faded as quickly as it had appeared; it frightened and confused her, as she struggled to understand what it was she had just seen flash through her mind, as her heart and feelings reached out in agony and compassion toward the children that Anakin and Obi-Wan had been searching for.

Sola felt Padmé jerk in her arms as she held her tightly, and she opened her own eyes and leaned back so that she could see Padmé's tear-stained face. "Padmé," Sola said softly, as her sister stood trembling in silence, her eyes still squeezed shut tightly. "Padmé," she said, squeezing her shoulders gently, "are you all right?"

Padmé jerked again, as the image suddenly flashed through her mind once more, as she felt the tremor that traveled to her through the Force.

_She couldn't have been more than four years old, and she looked up at the older girl, tears streaming down her young face as the older one gently brushed her hand through her long, black hair and raised her finger to her lips. "Quiet," she whispered softly, and she watched as the little one dropped her head back into the crook of her arm and cried, as softly as she could. The older girl looked up, her own face scared and terrified as she looked down the cramped, dark tunnel, toward the horizontal shafts of light that shone into the tiny space a few meters from them._

"Padmé," Sola said, looking at her sister worriedly as she shook Padmé's shoulders gently. She watched as Padmé opened her eyes suddenly; she took several sharp breaths and glanced around the _Destiny's _cabin, dazed and confused, as she reached up and took hold of Sola's arms tightly.

"Padmé, what's wrong?" Sola asked again, as Padmé finally focused her eyes on her sister's face as the strong, overwhelming tremor began to subside, slowly.

"I know where they are, Sola," Padmé said, her breath still coming in short gasps as she nodded her head slowly at her sister. "The children," she said, reaching up and wiping away the tears from her eyes with her hand as Sola looked back at her, puzzled. "I know where they are."

* * *

Yoda watched as Sidious howled with pain again, as he staggered to his feet near the doorway of the Jedi master's chambers. Yoda took several deep breaths, struggling to regain his strength as Sidious suddenly turned his face back toward him.

Yoda cringed, as he saw the face that stared angrily back at him as Sidious trembled violently, his crimson blade humming at his side as he stumbled again, his body rocked by the searing pain that coursed through it.

Palpatine's once regal face was all but unrecognizable; the power of the bolt of Force lightning that he had released toward Yoda had been incredible, and it had taken all of the power that Yoda could muster through the living Force to turn it away and send it back toward the Dark Lord.

"You shall pay dearly for that," Sidious said trembling in pain and anger, his yellow eyes glowering out from his horribly burned and disfigured face. "I would have given you a quick and painless death, Master Yoda," Sidious said, as he reached down with all strength, pain and anger that flowed through him into the dark side as he stood up and started toward the tiny Jedi master.

Yoda could sense the terrible tremor that reverberated through the Force, as he watched Sidious' yellow eyes begin to glow, even brighter, looking out from his horrible, unrecognizable face as he screamed angrily, and swung his crimson blade down hard at the Jedi master.

* * *

Anakin knelt on the cold, hard floor, still holding the young girl's hand tightly in his own as he reached up with his free hand and wiped away the tears that streaked his face. He opened his eyes and looked back at her, through the haze of tears that still stood in them, as she lay silently on the floor where she had given her life only a short time ago.

Anakin closed his eyes again, as he felt Obi-Wan's hand squeeze his shoulder tightly as he spoke to him. "Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, "we need to go. There's nothing more we can do here. We need to get to Mustafar, and stop Vader before he kills anyone else."

Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was right; he nodded his head slowly, and he reached up and wiped his eyes again. He opened his eyes and took another long, sorrowful look at the young girl before him, and he released her hand slowly, folding it gently across her chest. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as he placed his hand on the floor beside him and started to stand up.

Anakin stopped, suddenly; Obi-Wan looked at him, as Anakin froze as he knelt on the floor beside him. "Anakin," Obi-Wan said, his brow furrowing as he looked at him; Anakin wasn't moving at all, indeed, he didn't even seem to be breathing. "Anakin," Obi-Wan said again, "are you all right?"

Anakin knew it was Padmé; he recognized her strong, soothing tremor instinctively, yet this time, he sensed something different. She was calling to him, pleading with him, trying desperately to tell him something. He stayed there, completely motionless for several moments, as he reached out toward his wife with all of his heart, trying desperately to calm himself as he listened for that faint, small voice as her heart called out to him.

Obi-Wan watched in silence as Anakin suddenly opened his eyes and jerked up straight, taking a deep, halting breath. "Thank you, Padmé," Anakin said softly, his voice trembling as he stretched out to his wife with all of the love for her that flowed through his heart. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. "I love you," he said, quietly.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, looking at his young companion with a puzzled, worried expression as he suddenly turned and looked back at him. "Are you all right? What's going on?"

"She knows," Anakin said, reaching down and retrieving his weapons and placing them back into their holsters as quickly as he could. "She knows, Master," he said, turning his face back toward Obi-Wan as he stood up, as quickly as his trembling legs would allow him.

"Who knows, Anakin?" Obi-Wan said, his face deeply puzzled as he stood up next to Anakin and watched as he ran his hand through his long hair and took another long, halting breath as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve again. "What are you talking about?"

"Padmé knows where the children are, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head as Obi-Wan looked at him in puzzled amazement. "And she just told me."

Obi-Wan shook his head, slowly, as he saw the look of hope that suddenly flashed through Anakin's eyes. "How would she know where they are, Anakin?" he asked, shaking his head again.

"I don't know, and it doesn't matter right now," Anakin said, shaking his own head. "But we've got to find them, and fast." Anakin looked around the room, frantically, as he scanned the room quickly with his eyes.

"Where are the ventilation shafts on this level?" Anakin asked, as he looked back at Obi-Wan's puzzled, but attentive face. "Didn't they rework the dormitory levels a few years ago?"

"Just recently, actually," Obi-Wan nodded. "They're down the hallway, though the exit at the back of the living quarters," Obi-Wan said, gesturing toward small door at the end of the recreation area.

"Come on," Anakin said, as he reached over and grabbed Obi-Wan's arm tightly. "Let's go, we've got to hurry."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, and he followed closely behind Anakin as they flung the doorway open and bolted through the rows of beds and chairs that lined the sides of the room.

* * *

_Thank you, Padmé. I love you._

Padmé gasped and opened her eyes, taking several quick breaths as she heard Anakin's heart speak to her as clearly as if he had been standing beside her. "I love you too, Anakin," she said softly, as the overwhelming feeling of love and devotion flowed through her heart.

Artoo and Threepio both turned their attention toward the pilot's chair where Padmé sat as Sola knelt quickly beside her sister. She looked up at her, a look of deep concern on her face as Padmé cupped her own face in her hands and started to cry again as the emotions that flowed through her overwhelmed her. "Padmé," Sola said, placing her hand on her younger sister's shoulder comfortingly, "What's wrong?" she asked. "What happened?"

Padmé dropped her hands into her lap again; Sola watched her, and she felt her own heart begin to pound as Padmé's sobs slowly began to turn into laughter as she turned and looked back at her older sister, a bright glimmer of hope shining through the tears that stood in her beautiful brown eyes as she laughed.

"What happened?" Sola asked, as Padmé closed her eyes again, another happy tear spilling onto her cheek.

"He heard me," Padmé half laughed, half cried, as she opened her eyes again, reaching over and squeezing Sola's hand tightly; she could see the look of hope in her own eyes reflected back to her as Sola smiled back at her.

"He knows, Sola," Padmé laughed, her eyes shining brightly. "And he's going to find them."

Sola's own eyes filled with happy tears as she started to laugh along with her, and she flung her arms around Padmé and hugged her tightly as Artoo's bright, happy whistle echoed through the _Destiny's _cabin. The little astrodroid swung his dome back toward the console in front of him, and he went back to work with a renewed fervor, transferring the data from the Temple archives as fast as his circuits and the ship's computer would allow.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan burst through the maintenance doorway at the end of the dormitory level, scanning the long, narrow corridor quickly as they ran into the narrow passageway.

Anakin immediately sensed a faint presence as he stopped and stretched out with his feelings; it was her, it had to be, the girl that he had seen in the image that flashed, only for a split second, through his mind as Padmé's heart had touched his.

"They're in here somewhere, Master," Anakin said, as he looked around the maintenance corridor frantically. "Can you feel her?"

Obi-Wan stretched out with his own feelings, and he felt a very faint tremor, as faint as a whisper in a gale. "Yes," he said, nodding his head. "It's very faint," Obi-Wan said. "If they hid in here, it's no wonder Vader didn't find them."

"The first thing padawans learn is how to hide themselves," Anakin said, nodding his head, as he and Obi-Wan walked quickly along the corridor, following the faint tremor. "It's easy when you're young, but it gets harder as you get older."

"Where are you?" Anakin called, as his eyes searched the corridor frantically. "We're here to help you."

"I still don't understand how Padmé knew they were in here," Obi-Wan said, as he crouched down and looked behind a large group of small cargo containers. "Do you have any idea where they are?" Obi-Wan asked, as his eyes searched the dark grey walls as he and Anakin half walked, half ran along the maintenance corridor.

"Look for the ventilation shafts," Anakin said, as he pushed several large storage containers aside and glanced behind them. "I saw light, like she was looking out through a ventilation grate of some kind."

Obi-Wan turned around quickly, his eyes scanning the corridor, and he suddenly caught sight of a corner of one of the larger ventilation shafts, just behind another group of cargo containers. "There," he said, as Anakin turned around quickly and looked to the spot where Obi-Wan was pointing.

They both ran quickly down the corridor to the containers, and Anakin watched as Obi-Wan stretched out his hand toward them and sent them sliding out of the way across the floor, revealing the large metal ventilation grate at the base of the wall behind them.

Obi-Wan dropped to his knees in front of the grate as Anakin came and stood beside him. "Don't be afraid," Obi-Wan said, as he quickly spun the clamps loose that held the grate in place. "We're here to help you," he said, as he pulled the cover off and tossed it to the floor beside him. He reached down to his belt, retrieving the small spotlight that he kept there, and switched it on, shining it up inside the ventilation shaft as he peered into the darkness.

Obi-Wan felt his heart begin to pound in his chest, as he saw the teenage girl blink her eyes as she lifted her hand to her face and recoiled in fear. "Don't be afraid, Shanda," Obi-Wan said, as he immediately recognized her. "It's me, Master Obi-Wan," he said, as he turned the small spotlight toward his face so that she could see him. "We've come to help you."

Anakin felt himself begin to tremble, and he closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest tightly, as he fought to control his emotions; Padmé had led them right to them somehow, through some miracle of the Force and the love that flowed through them. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his breath trembling as he reached up and wiped his eyes again with his hand as Obi-Wan reached into the ventilation shaft.

"Master Obi-Wan?" Shanda asked, looking at him in disbelief, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, Shanda," Obi-Wan said reassuringly, as he extended his hand toward her as she looked back at him. "It's me, and I've got Anakin Skywalker with me. I promise, you're safe now. How many of the young ones do you have in there with you?"

Anakin leaned back against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut tightly; he felt his heart leap in his chest as he heard Shanda answer Obi-Wan's question. "All of them," Shanda said quietly, as she moved a little closer toward the entrance to the ventilation shaft. "They're all here with me."

Obi-Wan sighed with relief; he looked down and closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head slowly. He started to laugh quietly as he looked up at Anakin's face grinning down at him; he could see Anakin's eyes glistening brightly, as he looked down at Obi-Wan, nodded his head slowly, and then wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his tunic again.

"I don't know how she did it, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head, as Anakin reached down and squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder tightly.

"Never underestimate the power of an angel, Obi-Wan," Anakin sighed, as he sniffed hard and closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall again. "Especially mine."

Obi-Wan smiled, and then he turned and looked back into the ventilation shaft and watched as Shanda slid slowly toward the entrance. "Shanda," he asked, as he extended his hand to her again, "how did you get down here and into this ventilation shaft?"

"One of the older padawans came down and told us we needed to hide, that the temple was being attacked," Shanda said, her voice still shaking as she slowly inched toward Obi-Wan's outstretched hand. "Leytana, me and the others all brought the young ones down here to hide, and they made me stay with them since I was the youngest."

"They all went back to the dorm rooms and said they'd come back and get us later, when it was safe," Shanda said, as she reached out toward Obi-Wan's outstretched hand.

Obi-Wan glanced back up at Anakin, and the two of them exchanged a long, painful glance; they had suspected as much, yet now, they knew beyond any doubt the terrible price that the older padawans had paid for the safety of their younger companions.

"They knew that the young ones couldn't protect themselves," Anakin said quietly, nodding his head slowly as he turned his saddened expression toward Obi-Wan.

"So they sacrificed themselves to save them," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly, as he felt Shanda take hold of his hand. He sighed, deeply as he considered for a moment what those teenagers had done; no Jedi Master had ever made a more noble, more selfless sacrifice than those young students had a short time ago, as they had given their own lives to protect the small ones who couldn't protect themselves.

Obi-Wan turned his eyes back toward the ventilation shaft, and stood up slowly as he helped the frightened young teenager to her feet; she looked up at Anakin's face, as he took a step toward her and placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"You don't know how glad we are to see you," Anakin said quietly, as he smiled down at the teenaged girl who looked up at him.

"Shanda," Obi-Wan said, nodding toward Anakin as he stood beside him, "This is Anakin Skywalker," he said. "You remember him, don't you?"

"I think so," Shanda said, managing a small smile as she nodded politely, looking up at Anakin's face as he smiled back at her.

"Did you find the others, Master Kenobi?" Shanda asked, as she watched Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged pained glances for a moment. "Were they okay?"

Obi-Wan took a long deep breath, and sighed deeply as Shanda looked up at him. "No, sweetheart," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head slowly as he squeezed the young, auburn-haired girl's shoulders comfortingly. "They're not okay."

Obi-Wan hugged her tightly, as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the chest of his tunic. He looked up at Anakin, as his young friend placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it tightly.

"Hold onto her for a few minutes," Anakin said quietly. 'I'll get the others out," he said, a determined expression quickly spreading over his face. "And then we're going to get them all out of here."

Obi-Wan rubbed Shanda's shoulder reassuringly as she hugged him tightly, looking on quietly as Anakin knelt down in front of the ventilation shaft and started to help the other youngsters out, one by one.

* * *

Bail Organa sat up quickly in the driver's seat of his speeder, as he heard the two high-pitched tones suddenly ring from the small comlink that rested on the center console beside him. He reached down, quickly, and pressed the small button on the side of the comlink. He brought it up to his face, as he heard the telltale tone as the link activated. "Yes," he said, his brow furrowing as he listened intently for the voice on the other end.

_"Bail,_" he heard Anakin's voice say, "_This is Anakin Skywalker. Can you hear me?"_

"Yes, Anakin," Bail said, nodding his head as he spoke. "I'm reading you loud and clear. How can I help you?"

"_We need that transport, Bail,"_ Anakin said, his voice small and tinny over the tiny comlink's speaker. "_We need to get these children out of this building as soon as possible."_

"That's wonderful news," Bail sighed, as he heard the news that their rescue attempt had been successful. "How many were you able to find?"

_"Thirty seven of them,"_ Anakin said. _"All children._"

Bail's face fell quickly. "Only thirty seven?" he asked, stunned and surprised. "There had to be more than that in there."

The comlink was silent for a long moment, and then Bail heard Anakin's voice again. "_There were,"_ Anakin said, quietly. "_Lots more."_

Bail took a long, deep breath as the terrible realization of what Anakin was trying to tell him struck him. "I'm sorry, Anakin," Bail said quietly, turning the comlink over slowly in his hand. "Deeply sorry."

_"We need to get these children out of here, Bail,"_ Anakin said. "_They're young, and they're scared, and they don't need to be here. How quickly can you have the transports at the Temple?"_

"Quicker than you can tell me where to meet you," Bail said, nodding his head. "I've got the transport and my own speeder standing by."

"_We're not going to be able to use the landing platforms,"_ Anakin said. "_But we've got an idea. Get your transport around to the east side of the building, just beneath the main Council chambers. Do you know where I'm talking about?"_

"I do indeed," Bail said, nodding his head as he listened intently. "But there aren't any exits on that side of the building."

"_Exactly,_" Anakin replied. "_So there shouldn't be any troops watching that side of the building. We'll make our own exit as soon as you get there. Be watching, you'll know it when you see it."_

"Understood," Bail said, as he reached over and engaged the drive of his speeder with his left hand. "I'll be there in less than five minutes."

_"Thanks, Bail,_" Anakin said. "_We'll see you in a few minutes."_

Bail heard the comlink beep as the link when dead, and he tossed it into the seat beside him. He reached over and punched the throttle of his speeder, surging out into the main traffic lane as he headed around toward the Temple, engaging the communications terminal in the dash of his speeder as he prepared to call his transports into action.

* * *

Yoda swung his blade as hard as he could, trying desperately to turn aside the furious attack that Sidious unleashed on him. His breath came hard and fast, as his small blade flashed brightly as the Dark Lord lunged at him again, driving him back closer and closer to the corner near the window of his small chambers. He was losing ground, and losing it quickly.

He glanced over to the corner, toward the table that lay smashed on the floor, as he turned aside another of Sidious' furious blows; he saw the Book of the Whills, lying there face down for an instant, as he looked back up and swung his weapon furiously as Sidious pushed him ever closer to the window behind him.

* * *

Anakin held the two small children tightly in his arms, as he reached out with his boot and pushed the door to the Council chamber open, and then looked back over his shoulder into the hallway behind him.

"Hurry," he said, as the children looked up at him as they followed closely behind him, "And stay together, okay? We don't want to lose any of you."

Anakin turned and walked quickly through the doorway, the two children in his arms clinging tightly to him as he made his way over to the windows that looked out over the city; he leaned down as he approached Master Rancisis' old chair, as the other youngsters streamed into the room behind him, with Shanda and Obi-Wan following behind, making sure that they didn't lose any of them.

"Here," Anakin said softly, as he leaned down and let the two small children he held slip slowly from his arms into the large, soft chair. "Stay here for just a minute, okay?"

Anakin looked at the small boy's face, as he heard him whimper as he tightened his arms around Anakin's neck. "No," the boy said, as he squeezed Anakin's neck tightly; he didn't want to let go.

"Don't worry," Anakin smiled, as he reached up and pulled the boy's arms gently from around his neck, and then placed his hand on his small cheek reassuringly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Anakin said, as the lad looked up at him. "I promise."

Anakin turned around and looked at Obi-Wan, as he turned and hooked the heavy door with his boot, pushing it shut tightly as he held two small girls in his own arms. He turned around and placed lowered them to the floor by the other children, and then stood up and walked over to Shanda's side, as she huddled the children together near the center of the room.

"Shanda," Obi-Wan said, placing his hand gently on her shoulder as she looked up at him, "Anakin and I are going to need to break several of these windows," he said, as she looked up and nodded at him. "We need you to keep the children away from the glass. The wind's going to pick up in here pretty strongly when we break them, and we need you to keep them calm, okay?"

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, nodding her head as Obi-Wan smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. He watched her, as she walked over to the chair next to where Anakin stood.

Shanda and Anakin smiled at each other for a moment, and then Anakin watched her as she reached down and took the two small children he had been carrying into her arms. "Come on, you two," Shanda said, reassuringly, as she lifted the children up and held them tightly as she turned and headed back to where the other children huddled closely together. "We need to stay out of Masters Obi-Wan and Anakin's way."

Obi-Wan watched Shanda for a moment, as he walked across the room and stood at Anakin's side, as Anakin turned around and scanned the windows of the Council chamber quickly.

"Master Yoda's in trouble," Anakin said quietly, as he turned his eyes toward Obi-Wan for a moment.

"I know," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he returned Anakin's concerned expression. "I sensed it, too."

"We've got to get these children out of here, and fast," Anakin said, as he turned his eyes back toward the windows, studying them closely.

"I think these two here will be best, Master," Anakin said, as he walked quickly over to the two windows near the center of the room, as Obi-Wan followed closely beside him. "The ledge is wider here, almost a meter and a half," he said, as Obi-Wan looked at the narrow ledge outside of the glass. "It should make it easier to get the children on the transports."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, and then looked up, watching as the thick glass vibrated softly as the wind outside the Temple whipped by. "It's going to get very windy in here as soon as we break this glass," Obi-Wan said. "And it's going to be hard for the pilot to keep the transport steady in all of this wind."

"We'll have to help steady the transport ourselves," Anakin said, nodding his head as he reached down and took the saber from its place at his right side. "It's going to take both of us to hold it steady while we load the children," he said, as he turned and looked back at Obi-Wan with a grin. "I guess we'll find out if we're as strong together as Master Yoda is by himself."

"I suppose so," Obi-Wan said with a sigh, as he turned and looked back toward Shanda as she knelt beside the group of huddled, frightened young padawans. "Shanda," Obi-Wan said, as she looked up at him. "Anakin and I are going to break these windows," he said, nodding his head toward her, and then he turned his attention to the children who stood near her, listening to him intently. "It's going to get pretty windy in here, young ones," Obi-Wan said. "But you're going to be just fine, I promise. Just stay close to Shanda until we call you, okay?"

"Come over here with me," Shanda said, as she stood up and backed over toward the wall behind her, and the children all followed her obediently, huddling together in a tight group as they all turned and watched the two Jedi Knights who had rescued them intently.

Obi-Wan drew his own saber from his belt, and looked back at Anakin. "Ready?" he asked, as he nodded his head at Anakin with a grin; Anakin smiled and nodded back at him, and the two of them powered up the blades of their sabers, thrusting them through the center of the thick glass.

The glass splintered wildly, as the heat of their blades surged through it against the cold air outside of the Temple's windows. They both withdrew their blades and stepped back away from the windows, and Obi-Wan watched as Anakin extended his hand toward Master Rancisis' heavy, metal-framed chair that stood near them.

Shanda watched in amazement, as the chair lifted effortlessly from the floor, and suddenly flew toward the huge window with incredible force; she felt herself jump as the chair smashed through the glass, sending shards of glass flying out in a brilliant shower into the early evening sky.

"It's all right," she said, comfortingly, as the young ones huddled close together around her, as the wind began to gust strongly through the once quiet chamber, as Obi-Wan reached into the Force and threw another chair through the window in front of him, sending another brilliant spray of glass shimmering into the sky and down into the city below them.

* * *

"There," Bail said, as he looked up at the huge shower of glass that erupted from the windows near the top of the Temple, not far above them; he saw the ornate chair as it flew out into the cold, turbulent air and began to tumble toward the city far below. "Get that transport up to those windows, as quickly as you can."

_"I see it, Senator,"_ he heard the voice call back to him, and he swung his speeder to the side and watched as the large transport flew past him and made its way toward the spot where they had seen the two huge showers of glass.

Bail pushed the throttle of his speeder, as he followed closely behind the transport as they closed in quickly on the place where Anakin and Obi-Wan waited for them.

* * *

"Here he comes now," Anakin said, as he looked out of the broken window at the transport as it approached them rapidly, the wind whipping wildly through his long blond hair. He took a step back, and he and Obi-Wan watched, along with Shanda and the children, as the transport drew up close to the building beside them and opened the large access door on its side.

Anakin and Obi-Wan stepped up next to the window's heavy metal frame, and they both reached deeply into the Force, as they attempted to steady the transport as it bucked and tossed in the heavy wind outside of the Temple. Anakin looked up, just in time to see two of Bail Organa's aides step up to the edge of the transport's door, only a few feet from them.

"How many do you have?" the tall, muscular young man shouted, as he looked over at the two Jedi Knights as the transport began to steady itself as they held it tightly in the Force.

"Thirty seven," Anakin said. "We need to get them loaded and out of here as quickly as possible."

"Send them over," the young man shouted. "We're ready."

"Shanda," Obi-Wan called, as he turned and looked back at her as she stood huddled closely together with the children. "Bring them over, a few at a time," he said. "We need to get them on this transport as fast as we can, before anyone sees us."

Shanda took a deep breath, and then reached down and scooped several of the children up in her arms. "Come with me," Shanda said, as she turned toward the small group that stood near her. "The rest of you stay here. I'll be back to get you in just a minute."

Shanda carried the two in her arms over toward Anakin and Obi-Wan, as the small group followed close behind her. She handed the first child in her arms to Obi-Wan, and watched, with more than a little trepidation, as Obi-Wan handed the child out of the window and into the arms of the senator's aid on the transport.

"Please don't let any of them fall," Shanda said, turning and looking at Anakin with a worried, frightened expression as he reached over and took one of the children in his arms.

"Don't worry," Anakin said, looking up at her with a grin. "We won't. You keep them coming, okay?"

Shanda nodded her head slowly, as she reached up and brushed her hair out of her eyes as she watched Obi-Wan and Anakin begin to pass the youngsters quickly out through the window and into the arms of Bail's aides. She turned and started back across the room, and she kept them moving as quickly as she could, as the two Jedi Knights loaded them, one by one, into the waiting transport.

* * *

Yoda cried out loudly, as he felt the tip of Sidious' crimson blade bite into the edge of his hand as it struck the hilt of his saber, slicing cleanly through the small weapon and sending it clattering to the floor in a brilliant flash as its power cell exploded violently. He stumbled backwards, and then looked up as Sidious' crimson blade glowed only a few inches from his small face.

"As I said," Darth Sidious said, his voice still trembling with pain and anger as he looked at the defenseless Jedi as he lay on the floor before him, "the Jedi will soon be extinct, Master Yoda. Just as you will soon be."

Yoda reached up and grabbed his throat, as Sidious stretched out his hand toward him and began to lift him slowly into the air. He could feel the dark, angry tremor that flowed through the Force as he struggled to breath, and he glanced back and looked at the Dark Lord again as he held him, defenseless, almost a meter off the ground.

Sidious' eyes flashed angrily from his horribly disfigured face; Yoda glanced over again, catching sight of the Book of The Whills, as it lay on the floor not far from him. He reached deeply into the Force, struggling with all of his might to stay conscious as he felt himself begin to float toward the window behind him.

"And now, Master Yoda," Sidous said angrily, "You've grieved me for the last time," he said, as he thrust out his hand toward the tiny Jedi and pushed with all of the strength that he could muster from the Dark Side of the Force that he served.

Yoda felt himself suddenly begin to fly backwards toward the window behind him with incredible force; he stretched out his hand, reaching into the Force with all of his might as he felt his small body strike the window behind him.

Sidious watched, with evil satisfaction, as Yoda's small body hurtled through the glass as it shattered with a brilliant crash, and then plummeted down toward the city far below; he saw movement out of the corner of his haunting yellow eyes, and he glanced over, just in time to see the large, thick book suddenly leap from the floor and fly out of the window through which Yoda had just disappeared.

Sidious stumbled again, taking several long, trembling breaths as another wave of searing pain coursed through his body, and then he started to walk slowly to the broken window as the wind began to whip wildly through the small chambers, sending the destroyed books and papers that once lined the shelves of Yoda's chambers flying through the devastated room.

* * *

Shanda looked on nervously, as Obi-Wan handed the last of the children to Bail's aide, and then ushered the children toward the far side of the transport.

"Come on, Shanda," Anakin said, as he looked at her and extended his hand toward her. "It's your turn. The little ones need you to stay with them."

Obi-Wan watched, as Shanda walked slowly over and took Anakin's hand, squeezing it tightly, and then looked down out of the window nervously. "I'm too big," Shanda said, shaking her head as she looked back up at Anakin. "I'm too heavy for you to hand over to them."

"You're going to jump," Anakin said, as she looked at him, a look of disbelief on her young face. "And I'm going to help you."

"I can't," Shanda said, shaking her head as she looked back at him, her face frightened and apprehensive. "I'm scared."

"You can do it, Shanda," Anakin said, as he looked at her, nodding reassuringly. "I'm going to hold your hand, and steady you with the Force as you jump. You won't fall," Anakin said, as he squeezed her hand tightly. "I promise."

Shanda took a long, deep breath, as she looked at Anakin's reassuring smile. She was terrified, but something about him told her that she could trust him, and she nodded her head slowly as she looked back out at the transport and swallowed hard. "Okay," she said, as she looked back at Anakin and took another deep breath. "I'll try."

"We'll go on three, okay?" Anakin said, nodding his head reassuringly.

"Wait," Shanda said, as Anakin started to count. They both watched her, as she looked at both of them for a long moment, and then turned and looked at Obi-Wan.

"Thank you, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, as she nodded her head and smiled at him gratefully.

"You're welcome, Shanda," Obi-Wan smiled, as she reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes as the wind continued to gust through the chamber wildly. "You'll all be safe with Senator Organa until we can get all of this sorted out. We'll be back to get you shortly," he nodded. "I promise."

Shanda turned and looked at Anakin, and she squeezed his hand tightly as she smiled back at him. "And thank you, Master Skywalker," she said, as he squeezed her hand tightly in return.

"Thank _you_, Shanda," Anakin grinned. "But I'm not a master yet," Anakin said, shaking his head. "I've never had a padawan to train. I'm just Anakin."

"You'll always be a Master to me, and to them," Shanda nodded, as she gestured toward the young ones that stood quietly on the transport in front of them. "And if you decide you need a padawan, I'll be happy to volunteer."

Anakin smiled back at her, nodding his head slowly. "You ready?" he asked, as he watched her take another deep breath and look out at the transport as it bucked again in the strong evening wind.

"Yes," she said, as she looked back at him and nodded her head.

"Okay," Anakin said. "On three. One…. Two… Three!"

Shanda held her breath and she ran toward the window as she held tightly to Anakin's hand, and then jumped as hard as she could toward the open door of the transport.

Anakin released her hand as she jumped, and he stretched out his hand toward her, releasing his hold on the transport as he held her tightly in the Force, holding her steady as he guided her through the air toward the waiting arms of Senator Organa's aides.

Shanda felt Anakin's strong Force grip let her go, as she landed safely in the arms of the two aides that pulled her quickly into the transport beside them. She turned around, and looked back at the two Jedi Knights who had rescued them with a grateful smile, the wind whipping through their long hair as they stood on either side of the window as the transport began to back away slowly.

The tall, muscular young man turned and looked at the transport's pilot. "That's the last of them," he said, as Shanda turned and walked over by the children, and then turned and watched for another moment as she saw Anakin and Obi-Wan turn and step back away from the window, just as the door of the transport closed tightly.

"Where are we going?" Shanda asked, as she looked up at the young man as he walked over and took a seat beside her.

"We're taking you to Senator Organa's residence," he said. "You'll be safe and comfortable there until the Jedi can get things under control."

"Senator Organa says to assure you that you'll all be well taken care of," he nodded, as he looked at the group of children that huddled closely around her.

"Did Master Obi-Wan and Anakin arrange this?" Shanda asked, as she looked up at him thoughtfully.

"Yes," the young man said, nodding his head as he looked back at her. "They did indeed."

"Then I know we will be," Shanda sighed, nodding her head, as several of the younger children climbed up in her lap and wrapped their arms tightly around her.

* * *

Bail pressed the button on the comlink as he lifted it from the seat beside him and brought it quickly up toward his face, as he turned his speeder away from the Temple and began to follow the transport back down toward the city.

"Yes, Anakin," Bail said, as he pushed the throttle of his speeder forward. "We've got them," he said, nodding his head as he spoke. "We're getting clear of the building now."

_"Bail,"_ Anakin panted heavily into the comlink, as Bail's expression grew concerned. "_Master Yoda's in trouble,_" he said. "_We're heading up to his chambers now. We may need you to help get him out of there."_

Bail swung his speeder around hard, punching the throttle as he headed back toward the Temple. "I understand, Anakin," Bail said, as he made his way quickly up toward the massive building and headed toward the north side of the building where Master Yoda's chambers were. "I'm heading up there now."

* * *

Yoda clung to the ledge tightly with the three fingers of his right hand, as he reached deeply into the Force, trying to steady himself as the wind tore at him wildly. He looked down below him, as he clung desperately to the thick book under his arm. He felt a sense of despair tug at him, and he struggled to push it away as he looked down toward the seemingly endless depths of the city below him, as another gust of wind nearly tore his fingers lose from the ledge again.

Yoda looked back up again, as he struggled to pull himself up; he was simply too weak. Sidious had been far stronger than even he could have imagined, and he felt his strength waning fast as the dark feeling of despair dogged him again.

He heard a sound below him, and he looked down again and watched as the small speeder began to close on him quickly. Another blast of wind tore at him, and he reached into the Force as strongly as he could as he clung to the ledge with all of his might as Bail Organa's speeder headed directly for him.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan stopped quickly, as they ran toward the lift that lead up to Yoda's chambers. Obi-Wan watched, panting hard, as Anakin reached down and pulled the comlink from his belt as it beeped loudly.

"Yes," Anakin said, as he listened to the tone as the com channel opened.

_"Anakin_," Bail called excitedly, his voice trembling as he spoke. "_I've got him."_

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan, and they both exchanged puzzled glances as they heard Bail's excited voice. "You've got him?" Anakin asked, frowning deeply as he looked back at the comlink. "What do you mean you've got him?"

_"It's a long story, apparently,"_ Bail said, as Anakin and Obi-Wan looked back at each other as they listened intently. "_He was outside the building, clinging to a ledge. __He's in my speeder, now,_" Bail said. "_I'm taking him back to my residence."_

"_Master Yoda said to tell you that it's imperative that the two of you get out of there as quickly as possible,"_ he said. "_Palpatine is in there, and he'll be looking for you."_

Anakin's face grew angry and determined as he considered the fact that Sidious might be near; he glanced at Obi-Wan, and he saw the same look in his old mentor's eyes as he looked back at him.

"_Master Yoda says that the two of you are not __to confront him, under any circumstances,"_ Bail said, as they looked back down toward the comlink. "_He said to tell you both to get out of there and get on with your mission."_

Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other for a moment; Anakin watched, as Obi-Wan nodded at him silently. "We're on our way," Anakin said, looking back at the comlink in his hand. "Tell Master Yoda that we'll contact him as soon as we get to Mustafar."

_"Understood,_" Bail said over the small, tinny microphone. "_Be careful, you two,"_ he said after a long pause. "_And may the Force be with you."_

Anakin looked at the comlink as it beeped and fell silent, and he returned it to his belt as he and Obi-Wan turned and bolted for the lift that lead to the main landing platform directly above them.

* * *

Yoda sat quietly in the seat beside Bail Organa, as the small speeder dropped down into the heavy traffic lanes as they made their way toward Bail's residence. He looked out of the window, thoughtfully, for a long moment as the city's brilliant lights flashed by them.

"Anakin and Obi-Wan were able to get the young ones out, Master Yoda," Bail said quietly, as the tiny Jedi turned his sad, thoughtful face toward him as he spoke. "They're on their way to my residence, now."

"Thankful, we must be, for that," Yoda sighed, as he looked down and brushed his injured hand gently over the cover of the book that lay in his lap. "One thing more, there is, left to do at the Temple," he said quietly, and Bail turned and watched silently, as Yoda closed his eyes, reaching deeply into the Force.

* * *

Padmé looked up, suddenly, from the data that scrolled by quickly on the terminal in front of her as the strong tremor traveled through her through the Force.

"We're out of time," she said softly, as she turned and looked at Sola as she turned and looked back at her.

"What?" Sola asked, puzzled, as she looked back at Padmé's deeply concerned face.

"We're out of time," Padmé said again, as she nodded her head as she looked at Sola's own worried face. "We've got to destroy it," she said, as she turned her eyes back toward her console and tapped the control pad quickly in front of her as she prepared to sever their connection to the archives.

Sola swallowed hard, as she realized what it was they were preparing to do. "Are you sure, Padmé?" she asked, quietly, as she watched her sister tap the control pad quickly. "We don't have everything yet."

"Yes," Padmé said, nodding her head as she pulled up the com station's controls in front of her. "I don't know how, but I know we're out of time," she said, as she looked back at Sola, her expression somber and determined. "What we have will have to be enough."

"Artoo," Padmé said, as she turned and looked at her faithful little companion as he swung his dome toward her. "It's time. Stop the transfer and key in the destruct sequences. Now."

Artoo whistled in reply, as Sola stood up from her seat in the copilot's chair. She and Threepio both walked over and stood behind her, silently, as Artoo spun the wheels on the console quickly, keying the destruct codes into the Temple's control system as quickly as he could.

Padmé took a long deep breath, as she watched the seven codes begin to scroll on the screen in front of them, one by one, as the Temple activated its self-destruct system. She reached up and took Sola's hand from her shoulder, squeezing it tightly as she saw the message suddenly scroll across the screen in front of them, as the system activated the built in ten second delay.

_Code accepted. Destruct sequence engaged._

_Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…_

* * *

Darth Sidious threw the doors to the Temple's archive library open hard; he stepped through the doors quickly, and he scanned the massive series of computer banks with a rapturous lust, as he smiled, in spite of the horrible pain that coursed through his badly burned face.

It was his now; everything that the Jedi knew, all of the knowledge that they had amassed over the centuries, along with the location of every single person that would ever be able to oppose him. He took a step toward the console just inside the doorway, and reached out toward the display in front of him.

He stopped, suddenly, and stared at the display as the message flashed brightly in front of him.

_Six… Five… Four… Three…_

"No!" Sidous shouted angrily, as he looked up toward the massive rows of computer banks that lined the long hallway. "It's not possible!"

He took a step back toward the doorway, just as the bright flash blinded him as the computer core closest to him exploded violently; the force of the explosion lifted him into the air, throwing him back through the doorway to the archives and sending him crashing violently to the floor of the hallway behind him.

Sidious looked up, dazed and disoriented, as he lifted himself up on his elbows and looked back toward the Temple archives. He felt a wave of incredible anger and rage brewing inside of him, as he watched core after core explode, sending shards of equipment flying out through the doors and crashing to the floor around him.

The Dark Lord's angry scream filled the empty hallway around him, as the last of the archive's computer cores exploded, utterly destroying in a few seconds what it had taken hundreds of years to build.

* * *

Anakin turned and watched as Obi-Wan closed the ship's access ramp behind him. "Let's go," Obi-Wan said, as he extinguished the blade of his saber and returned it quickly to his belt.

Anakin punched the throttle, as their small gunship lifted off the landing pad; Obi-Wan took the copilot's seat beside him, and he looked down at the platform below as Anakin retracted the landing gear and swung them quickly out away from the Temple. The troopers on the roof had given them little resistance, and Obi-Wan took a long, deep breath, sighing deeply as he watched the Temple that they had known for so long begin to fade as they lifted slowly into the thickening clouds above them.

"I wonder if we'll ever see it again," Obi-Wan said, as he turned and looked at Anakin thoughtfully.

"We can always hope," Anakin said quietly, nodding his head slowly as he looked back out of the window in front of him. "We got the young ones out," Anakin said, managing a smile as Obi-Wan looked back at him. "We'll need a place to train them, someday."

"Can you take the controls for a minute or two, Master?" Anakin said, as he looked back at Obi-Wan. "I need to contact Padmé and let her know where we're going."

"Sure," Obi-Wan said with a nod, as he turned around and took hold of the control yoke in front of him. He watched as Anakin stood up from the pilot's seat, and he looked up at his young friend as he placed his hand gently on his shoulder and smiled down at him weakly.

"Everything's going to work out, Master," Anakin said, as he squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Master Yoda's okay. He'll know what to do."

Obi-Wan smiled, just as weakly, and he watched as Anakin walked slowly back into the back of the ship toward the communications console. He turned around slowly and looked back out of the window beside him, as the Temple disappeared into the clouds below them. He looked back out ahead of him, and took a long, deep breath as he pushed the throttle and headed directly into the atmosphere above them.


	13. Rendezvous with Destiny

_**Chapter 13: Rendezvous With Destiny**_

"But why, Anakin?" Padmé asked frantically, shaking her head slowly as his image flickered again on the holopad in front of her. "Why do you and Obi-Wan have to go after him?"

Sola reached over and gently took hold of Padmé's arm as she sat beside her; she could feel her entire body trembling as Anakin spoke to her, as comfortingly as he could.

"_You know we have to go, Padmé_," Anakin said softly, as Padmé reached up with her trembling hand and wiped away the tear that trickled slowly down her cheek. "_We have to stop him."_

"No, you don't," Padmé said angrily, shaking her head, her long brown hair tossing around her shoulders. "I don't care what Master Yoda says! You and Obi-Wan have done enough already!"

Sola closed her eyes and took a deep breath, sliding a little closer to her sister, taking her hand tightly in hers as Padmé's breath began to catch in her throat as she sobbed on the couch beside her. She had been afraid that this would happen; she didn't really understand how Padmé had managed to withstand the incredible stress of the past few days as long as she had. She knew, instinctively, that her baby sister had finally reached the emotional breaking point.

"Let him go and kill those bastards," Padmé exclaimed, pounding her tightly clenched fists on her knees. "I hope he kills them all! They deserve whatever he does to them!"

* * *

Obi-Wan held the gunship's control yoke loosely in his hands; he looked down toward his lap, taking a long deep breath and exhaling slowly. He looked back up, after a moment, and turned his head slightly, looking over toward the copilot's seat thoughtfully as he listened to the conversation in the cabin behind him.

He could hear Padmé's angry, frantic voice coming from the holopad in the ship's central cabin; she was angry and upset, more so than he had ever seen or heard, and he felt a twinge of pain bite at his own heart as he listened to her plead with Anakin.

She had a right to be upset, he thought to himself, if anyone in the galaxy did at this moment. He felt guilty, and no matter how hard Anakin would have argued with him to the contrary, he felt responsible for the pain that the two of them were dealing with now. Their life had been blissful and content, until he had shown up only a few days ago and torn Anakin away from her. They had all gotten far more than they had bargained for that night in their ship's cabin, and he could sense as he listened to her trembling voice that she was as frightened now as Shanda and the children had been when he and Anakin had found them just a short time ago.

Anakin closed his eyes; he felt his heart breaking as he sensed the pain and fear that flowed through his beloved Padmé's heart. "Please don't cry, Angel," he said, opening his eyes slowly and looking back up at her image on the holopad in front of him. "Please don't cry."

_"I'm scared, Ani,"_ Padmé sobbed, as she finally let go of the emotions that she had struggled to keep at bay since that terrible night when she had watched him leave. "_I don't want you to face him. I want you to come home,_" her trembling voice said softly. "_You've done enough."_

Padmé paused, and Anakin could see the tears that streaked her face as he looked at her image in front of him. "_I don't want to lose you, Ani,_" she sobbed softly, shaking her head slowly. "_Please don't let them take you from me."_

* * *

Padmé wiped the tears from her cheeks with her hand as she looked back up at Anakin's image on the projector in front of her. _"Padmé,"_ Anakin said softly, "_Listen to me for just a minute."_

"I'm listening," Padmé said haltingly, her voice catching in her throat as she took another deep breath. She felt Sola's hand on hers, and she instinctively took it in her own and squeezed it tightly as he spoke to her.

_"I love you so much, Padmé,"_ Anakin said, as he gazed at her fondly. "_And I'm as scared as you are. But what does your heart tell you that we need to do?"_

"My heart tells me that I want my husband back," Padmé snapped, shaking her head again. "I don't care what else it's trying to tell me."

_"You know that's not true,"_ Anakin said quietly, smiling back at her as she looked up at him again. "_You're the strongest person I've ever known, Angel,"_ he said, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he stretched out to her with his feelings. "_I wouldn't have made it this far if it hadn't been for you."_

Padmé closed her eyes and smiled, weakly, as she felt that warm, wonderful tremor grow stronger in her heart as his heart touched hers again. "I miss you so much, baby," she said softly, as she turned her tearful eyes back up to his image on the projector. "I'm so scared."

"_I know,"_ Anakin nodded. "_I miss you more than you'll ever know, Padmé, and I'm scared too, just as much as you are, maybe even more,"_ he said. "_But I made you a promise, remember?"_

Anakin paused for just a moment. _"What did I promise you, Padmé?"_ he asked quietly, after a long moment.

"You promised me that you'd be coming home," Padmé said softly, as she nodded her head and dabbed at the tear that stood in the corner of her eye.

"_And I will __keep that promise, Padmé,"_ Anakin said, nodding his head firmly as he spoke. "_There's no way I'm going to leave you, or our children, alone. Do you understand me?"_

"Yes," Padmé said, forcing a weak smile as she looked up at his image as it flickered on the pad in front of her. "And I believe you, baby. I'm just scared."

"I'm sorry, Ani," Padmé said, shaking her head as she looked down and wiped the tears away that stood in her eyes again. "This has just been so hard," she said, as she looked back up at him. "I know that it's been even harder for you, Master Obi-Wan, and Yoda."

"I'm sorry I'm carrying on like this," Padmé said, looking up at him apologetically. "I'm not any help to you at all, am I?"

"_Are you kidding me_?" Anakin asked, smiling back at her brightly. "_You saved the lives of thirty-seven children a little while ago, Padmé_," he said, shaking his head as he smiled at her. "_Children that would have probably died without your help."_

_"Not to mention_," Anakin said as Sola squeezed Padmé's shoulders and looked at her sister with a reassuring smile, "_That you managed to save the archives at the same time."_

"That was more Artoo than me," Padmé shrugged, as she wiped her eyes again and looked back up at him again.

_"We never could have done any of this without you, Padmé,_" Anakin said softly. "_If it hadn't been for you, Master Yoda and I would have walked into a trap,_" he said with a smile.

"_And I could never have done any of this if you hadn't been here with me_," Anakin said, reaching out to her with his feelings again as he spoke. "_I've felt you with me the whole time."_

"I am with you, Ani," Padmé said, softly, nodding her head and gazing at him lovingly as she felt that strong tremor in her heart again. "I always will be."

"And I know you have to do this," Padmé said, as she took a long, deep breath and sighed deeply, casting her gaze down again as she spoke. "I just don't like it, or the way I feel when I think about you confronting Vader," she said, as she looked back up at his image again. "He killed everyone in the Temple, Ani," she said, her voice trembling as she spoke. "The thought of you and Obi-Wan facing him alone terrifies me."

"_I know_," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly, as his image flickered again. _"I'm not too thrilled about facing him either,_" he said, as the image of Vader's face, his own face, staring back at him from underneath that hood flashed through his mind again. "_But we have to, Angel."_

"But why now?" Padmé asked again, shaking her head slowly as she turned a painful expression to him again. "Why can't you wait until you, and Yoda, and the rest of the Jedi have time to regroup and think about this?"

"_We have to stop him now, Padmé,_" Anakin said quietly. "_If we don't stop him before he gets back to Coruscant and rejoins Sidious, then we'll have to face the both of them at once,"_ he said, as he watched her lower her head and nod slowly, "_along with the entire Clone army."_

"I know," Padmé whispered, as she felt Sola squeeze her shoulder again reassuringly.

"Please promise me you'll be careful, Ani," she said, as she looked back up at his image again, her eyes shining brightly in the soft light of the _Destiny's _cabin.

"_We will, Angel,"_ Anakin said softly and reassuringly. "_And as soon as this is over, I'm coming home, I promise,"_ he nodded. "_And we're going to get back to work on finishing our nursery, okay?"_

"Okay," Padmé said quietly, as she smiled up at him through the tears that stood in her eyes. She knew in her heart that he had to do this, as much as she hated it; she could sense that it was right, that it had to be done.

"_We should get to Mustafar in a few hours,_" Anakin said, as his image flickered again on the holopad. "_I'll contact you again just as soon as I can, okay?"_

_Mustafar._

"Okay," Padmé said, nodding her head again as she squeezed Sola's hand tightly in hers. She reached over, quietly, and began to tap the control pad beneath the holopad quickly; she watched, thoughtfully, as the homing transponder of Anakin and Obi-Wan ship flashed briefly on the display in front of her, and then she tapped the controls again, and the screen flipped back to its signal strength monitor.

"_Is the core still there on the ship?"_ Anakin asked. _"Master Yoda wanted us to check on it."_

"Yes," Padmé said, as she and Sola both looked at it as it sat humming near the ship's bulkhead. "Dad's on his way out to help us shut it down and get it off the ship now."

"_Okay,_" Anakin said, nodding his head and smiling back at her. _"Help him shut it down, and then go in the house and try to get a little rest, okay, baby?_" Anakin said, gazing at her warmly. "_You've done enough, too,_" he said. "_I want you and our little ones to get some rest."_

"Like I could even begin to sleep, knowing where you're going and who you're going to find right now," Padmé snorted, shaking her head slowly.

_"Try_," Anakin nodded, as she looked up at him again. "_For me, okay?"_

"Okay," Padmé nodded softly. "I'll try," she said. "But no promises."

"_Good enough for me_," Anakin smiled back at her. "_I can't ask for more than that."_

_"Sola?"_ Anakin said, as he watched her turn her attention to his face on the projector.

"Yes, Anakin?" Sola said, looking up at her brother-in-law as he spoke to her.

_"Thank you,_" Anakin said, smiling warmly at her. "_Thank you for being there with her through all of this. I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you."_

"You can thank me by coming home soon, Anakin," Sola nodded, as she squeezed Padmé's shoulder reassuringly. "She needs you."

Anakin nodded his head slowly, and then he looked back at Padmé for a long moment. "_I love you, Padmé,_" Anakin said softly. "_More than you'll ever know."_

"I love you, baby," Padmé said, as she gazed at him lovingly. "Please be careful."

"_I will,_" Anakin said softly. "_I'll be home soon, I promise."_

Sola turned and looked back at Padmé, placing her arm comfortingly over her shoulders as Anakin's signal faded on the holopad in front of them. "You okay, baby sister?" Sola asked, as Padmé turned her worried, tear-stained face back up to her and looked at her quietly for a long moment.

"No," Padmé said quietly, shaking her head slowly, and Sola hugged her tightly as she closed her eyes and laid her head on Sola's shoulder as the two of them sat in silence in the _Destiny's _cabin.

* * *

Jobal folded her arms across her chest thoughtfully, as she watched her youngest daughter kneel in front of the control panel on the university's computer core that sat, humming smoothly, near the _Destiny's _bulkhead.

"So how much did we get?" Ruwee asked, as he knelt next to Padmé and watched as her nimble fingers called up the core's status summary on the small display just above the control pad.

"The core's at eighty-three percent capacity," Padmé sighed, as she turned and looked back at her father. "Artoo thinks we got pretty much everything except the geographic surveys."

"And the archives at the Temple are gone now?" Ruwee asked, as Padmé looked up at him.

"Yes," Padmé nodded, reaching up and pushing her wavy brown hair from her eyes and tucking a lock of it behind her ear as she nodded at her father. "Once the destruct sequence was engaged," she said, shaking her head slowly, "there was no way to shut it off."

Ruwee nodded his head slowly, and his expression grew somber and thoughtful as he rubbed his hand thoughtfully over the top of the large, humming, cylindrical device. "So what we have here," he said, looking back into his daughter's thoughtful brown eyes, "is the only copy left."

"Yes," Padmé said softly, nodding her head as she looked back at the core in front of her. She reached up and tapped the control pad again, and she and her father both watched quietly as the display in front of her blinked several times, and then the core's steady hum began to wind slowly down as the unit powered itself off, and then fell silent.

"We need to hide this," Padmé said, as her father stood up and extended his hand to her. "At least until Anakin and Master Obi-Wan can get back and figure out what to do with it."

"We can lock it up down at the shop," Ruwee said, nodding his head. "Darred and I can take it down there in a few minutes."

Padmé took her father's hand and stood up, somewhat slowly, as he helped her up; she winced, suddenly, and Ruwee took hold of her arms tightly as she stumbled and placed her hands on her stomach.

"Oooohhhhhhh," she moaned slowly, holding tightly to her stomach as she felt the sharp, squeezing pain in her lower back. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, as it traveled quickly from her back to her stomach, and then began to subside as quickly as it had appeared.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Ruwee asked, a worried frown on his face as Jobal walked quickly to Padmé's side.

"I think so," Padmé said, nodding her head and taking a long, deep breath. "I just felt a little pain in my back," she said, as she turned to look at her mother's worried face. "I think I'm just tired," she said, shaking her head as she smiled weakly back at her mother.

"You've been pushing yourself too hard," Jobal scolded, as Padmé took a long breath and sighed deeply.

"And don't roll those eyes at me, young lady," Jobal said, gazing at her daughter's smirking face sternly. "You're carrying two babies, and you haven't slowed down in as many days. You need to get some rest, and right now."

"I'll be fine, Mom," Padmé said, shaking her head and smiling back at her mother. "I'm just a little tired."

"What do you think Anakin would say and do if he were here now?" Jobal asked, narrowing her eyes and looking at her daughter thoughtfully.

"He'd fuss at me about not getting any rest," Padmé sighed, as she nodded her head; she knew she couldn't win this argument. "And he'd make me go in the house and get some rest. He's already asked me."

"Exactly," Jobal nodded. Padmé watched as her mother turned her head and looked across the _Destiny's _cockpit. "Threepio?" Jobal said, as she turned her attention to the tall, silver droid as he stood next to the bench where Sola sat, watching them quietly.

"Yes, Mistress Jobal?" Threepio said, perking up quickly as she addressed him.

"If I remember correctly," Jobal said, "Anakin asked you to look after this young lady while he was gone, didn't he?"

"Why, yes, Mistress Jobal," Threepio said, nodding his head as firmly as his metal body would allow. "Master Ani specifically asked me to make sure she was taken care of. I promised him that I'd make certain that she was."

"Then it's time you made good on that promise," Jobal said, as she looked back at her daughter with a grin. "Escort my hard-headed daughter in the house and see to it that she lies down and gets some rest."

"Okay, okay," Padmé sighed, as she started across the cabin to where Threepio stood watching her.

"And if she tries to get up without my permission," Jobal said, as Padmé turned and looked back at her with a curious smile, "then tie her down on the bed."

"I most definitely will, Mistress Jobal," Threepio nodded excitedly in reply. "I ran the bailer for three seasons on Tatooine for Master Owen," he said, tilting his head proudly as Padmé looked at him, amused. "I'm quite adept with over three hundred types of knots and fasteners. I can assure you that she won't…"

"Threepio," Padmé sighed, placing her hand over his narrow mouth and silencing him, "I think Mom was just kidding about tying me to the bed."

"Oh," Threepio said, as he watched Padmé shake her head and laugh softly as she stepped past him and headed toward the ship's entry ramp. He turned around quickly and walked along beside her as she made her way out of the ship and headed back toward the house.

"Sola," Ruwee said, as his eldest daughter turned and looked at him as she stood up from the bench where she sat, "Why don't you go help Padmé get settled for a bit? And have Darred come give me a hand with this core. We need to get it back down to the shop and lock it up as quick as we can."

He took a long look at the core for a moment, and then looked back up at Sola and shook his head slowly. "With everything that's going on," he said quietly, "I don't think I want this thing anywhere near the house if someone should come looking for it."

"Okay, Dad," Sola said, nodding her head, and he and Jobal watched as Sola turned and walked down the access ramp after Padmé and Threepio.

Jobal came and stood next to Ruwee, and the two of them stood quietly for a moment, as they watched Artoo finish detaching the last of the interface cables from the ship's bulkhead panel. "Do you really think that someone would come looking for it here, Ruwee?" Jobal asked, looking up at her husband with a somewhat worried expression.

"If Padmé is right," Ruwee said, placing his arm around his wife's shoulder, "then no one except Anakin and a few others even know it's here."

"Just the same," he said with a sigh, turning and looking at his wife thoughtfully, "I'll feel a lot safer when it's locked up down there."

* * *

"How's she doing?" Obi-Wan asked, as he looked up at Anakin as he came and took a seat in the copilot's seat beside him.

"She's okay," Anakin sighed, nodding his head as he flopped back into the chair and relaxed for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. "She's just ready for all of this to be over," he said, turning and looking back at Obi-Wan thoughtfully. "And I have to admit," he said, nodding his head, slowly, "so am I."

"I know," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as Anakin closed his eyes and winced slightly, raising his left arm and rubbing his chest gingerly. "Me, too, Anakin," he said with a sigh. "Me too."

"Chest bothering you again?" Obi-Wan asked after a moment, as Anakin opened his eyes and looked back at him.

"Just a little," Anakin said, nodding his head as he lowered his arm again and leaned back limply in the thickly padded chair. "I don't think it was all healed up. I think that little droid was tired of working on me and just wanted to get me out of there."

"What do you expect?" Obi-Wan chuckled. "The way you slapped him, I'm surprised he bothered to finish your leg. He probably left those ribs that way on purpose."

"I only hit him once," Anakin grinned, shaking his head as he leaned back and looked out of the cockpit window at the stars as they streaked quickly by them.

"Well, sometimes once is enough," Obi-Wan chuckled again, as he reached over and checked their position on the ship's nav map.

"How long till we make Mustafar, Master?" Anakin asked, thoughtfully.

"About four hours," Obi-Wan said, as he looked back up out of the cockpit window and leaned back in the pilot's seat. "I figure that Vader's got about an hour's lead on us," he said, looking back at Anakin. "Our ship's lighter and faster than the one we think he took, so we should be able to make some of that up."

Anakin nodded his head slowly, and then Obi-Wan watched as he closed his eyes and yawned widely. "Why don't you get a couple of hours of sleep, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin turned and looked at him again. "I'll wake you up midway there and you can take over for a while."

"Okay, Master," Anakin said, leaning back in the copilot's seat and closing his eyes.

Obi-Wan leaned back in the pilot's seat, and watched quietly as the stars streaked quickly by them as they slowly closed the distance between themselves and the mysterious Sith.

* * *

Jobal opened the door to Padmé and Anakin's room as quietly as she could, peering around the door toward the bed near the center of the room.

She was asleep, and Jobal looked at her thoughtfully for a moment as Padmé lay quietly on her side, the blanket pulled up snuggly over her shoulder. She looked down at Artoo, raising her finger to her lips as the little droid swung his dome toward her and switched his main sensor light on as he sensed the door open near him.

"It's okay, Artoo," Jobal whispered, "I was just on my way to bed, and I just thought I'd check on her."

Artoo nodded slowly, and he watched for a moment as Jobal looked back at Padmé for another long moment, and then closed the door quietly behind her.

Padmé raised up in the bed, looking over her shoulder to the door quietly for a long moment. She listened intently, as she heard her mother's footsteps fade slowly as she made her way down the long hallway toward her own bedroom, and then she tossed the blanket off of her onto the bed beside her as she heard the door to her mother's bedroom close soundly.

Padmé sat up quickly on the side of the bed, and she turned and looked at Artoo as she slipped her shoes on and stood up.

"Okay, Artoo," Padmé whispered, as she walked quickly to the chair beside him and picked up the dark blue cloak the hung draped over its back and tossed it onto her shoulders. "Let's go."

Artoo whistled softly at her, and she took the small translator display from her pocket and looked at it intently as the message scrolled quickly across it. "No arguing," Padmé said, raising her eyebrows and looking at her faithful little droid with a determined expression. "I said move, and quietly."

Artoo shook his dome slowly, and with a resigned, soft whistle, he rolled quietly to the door to her bedroom as she opened the door; he rolled out into the hallway, and Padmé closed the door quietly behind her as she started down the hall behind him, pulling her cloak tightly around her as she and her little droid made there way out of the house as quietly as they could.

* * *

"Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, his electronic voice conveying his deep concern as he turned in the copilot's seat and watched as Padmé walked quickly into the _Destiny's _cabin and tossed her cloak onto the bench behind them. "Are you absolutely certain that this is a good idea?"

"I'm not so certain that Master Ani would approve," Threepio said, waving his arms jerkily as she took a seat quickly in the pilot's chair. "He's liable to deactivate me when he finds out we're doing this."

"Anakin's not going to deactivate you, Threepio," Padmé said, turning to her silver companion as Artoo rolled quickly to the pilot's station behind her. "And good idea or not," she said, as she watched Artoo insert his data probe into the control wheels and begin to spin the quickly as he brought the ship's systems and engines online, "I'm not going to sit here while my husband goes to some horrible planet six parsecs away to face that freakish abomination that Palpatine and Dooku created."

Threepio watched silently from the copilot's seat as Padmé brought the _Destiny's _systems online; the ship's thrusters powered up, and he looked out of the cockpit window as Padmé leaned back in the pilot's chair, taking the control yoke tightly in her right hand as she gripped the throttle firmly with her left.

"We should be able to make Mustafar in two hours," Padmé said, as she called up the navigational charts that she had instructed Threepio to program a few hours earlier. "Once we get out of the atmosphere, I want you to lock in on the homing transmitter of Anakin's ship," she said. "I want us to land in the same place they do."

"Yes, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, nodding his head obediently as he called up the communications station in front of him.

"Maneuvering thruster's only, Artoo," Padmé called over her shoulder to her little companion at the pilot's station. "And don't bring the running lights up until we're clear of the hangar. I'm going to have a hard enough time explaining this to Mom and Dad when we get home as it is."

Artoo whistled brightly, and Threepio reached down and grabbed the armrests of the copilot's seat tightly as he felt the ship bounce as it lifted off its landing gear as Padmé began to maneuver it, quickly and precisely, out of the hangar and into the field ahead of them.

* * *

Ruwee, Jobal, and Sola rushed out of the garden door at the back of the house, just in time to see the running lights of the ship power up as it lifted slowly into the air, spinning smoothly as the landing gear began to retract slowly into its hull as the bright moonlight flashed off of its sleek, silver hull.

"What in the blazes does that girl think she's doing?" Ruwee shouted, as he watched the ship turn slowly toward the meadow below the house.

"She's going to find Anakin," Sola said, shaking her head with amazement as Jobal clung tightly to Ruwee's arm, watching as the ship lifted higher into the night sky as its nose turned faster and faster toward the meadow below them.

"That girl," Ruwee said, shaking his head angrily, as the ship throttled up and headed out over the meadow, turning sharply and bolting up into the darkness, the moonlight shining brightly off its smooth silver hull. "Anakin's going to kill her."

"If she doesn't get herself killed first," Sola sighed, shaking her head as, watching helplessly, her sister blast off into the night sky.

* * *

He leaned forward in the thickly padded pilot's chair, watching as the bright red indicator began to flash on the console in front of him; the dim, red emergency lights glowed softly through the cockpit of his ship, as he reached over and activated the ship's transmitter, leaning back in his seat again as the ship's computer locked onto the incoming signal.

He preferred it dark; he had turned off everything but the ship's crimson emergency lights shortly after he had taken off. It reminded him of who he was, and the powerful, forbidden side of the Force that he and his master served.

It had been almost too easy, he had thought to himself earlier, as he had left the decimated Jedi Temple and begun his trip to Mustafar to complete his master's dark, sinister bidding. The Jedi that had remained at the Temple had proven little more than a nuisance to him; he closed his eyes, and took a long, deep breath, as he allowed himself to reflect on what he had felt a few hours earlier. The powerful sense of fear and sorrow was as sweet to him as a rare wine, and he could still see the look of abject terror on the face of the young Jedi who had tried to oppose him in the narrow hallway of the Temple outside the Council chambers.

Vader opened his eyes, as he heard the two tones echo through the small cabin as the computer locked in on the incoming signal; he lifted the hood of his thick, black cloak up over his head, and smiled as he leaned forward and saw the signal's source flash on the display near the holographic emitter. These would be little more effort to him than swatting flies, he thought to himself with a sadistic smile, and he looked up and watched the holographic transmitter in front of him flash brightly as Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray's image appeared on the console in front of him.

"Viceroy Gunray," Darth Vader said, nodding his hooded head politely as the Viceroy's image stabilized on the holopad on the ship's command console. "How can I be of service to you?"

"_We are awaiting your arrival, and the delivery of Chancellor Palpatine as your master has promised us,_" Nute Gunray said, an arrogant, anxious tone reflected in his familiar voice. "_My associates and I are growing tired of waiting."_

"We are en route to you now, Viceroy," Vader said, nodding his head again, slowly. "I should be landing at your coördinates within the hour."

Vader smiled at Gunray's image on the console in front of him, as he paused for just a moment. "Patience, Viceroy," Vader nodded. "You will have that which you so richly deserve in a matter of moments."

"_We have been patient, and for far too long,"_ Gunray snapped back at Vader, his large, round head bouncing angrily as he spoke. "_And I do not need one of Master Sidious' underlings to tell me that I need to be patient!"_

The smile disappeared from Vader's face, as he listened to Gunray's arrogant, demanding voice. "My apologies, Viceroy," Vader said, his tone becoming deep and sullen as his eyes began to glow faintly as he spoke. "I assure you," Vader said, nodding his head slowly, "you will be the first one that I see as soon as I arrive."

_"Very well,"_ Nute Gunray snapped, angrily. "_We shall await your arrival within the hour. And no excuses this time."_

"No excuses," Darth Vader growled in reply, nodding his head. "I'm looking forward to meeting you in person, Viceroy," he said, his eyes glowing more with each passing moment. "More than you can possibly imagine."

Vader watched, as Gunray snorted disgustedly, and then his image faded from view on the holopad in front of him.

Vader reached up and tossed the hood of his cloak back onto his shoulders, and glared at the communication console where the Viceroy's image had been only a few moments earlier. "I can't wait to meet you, Viceroy," he growled again, as his eyes began to glow brightly with an angry, yellow light.

* * *

Jobal sat silently on the couch in the living room, watching as the fire in the fireplace in front of her crackled softly, its light flickering through the room and off of her deeply worried face.

She looked down for a moment, and rubbed her hands gently over the blanket that she held in her lap; she had retrieved it from Anakin and Padmé's bed a little earlier, and she squeezed the thick, colorful material tightly in her hands as she looked back up and watched the fire as it flickered and danced in front of her.

It was just a blanket; it had lain on that shelf in Padmé's closet for years, hidden in the darkness, gathering dust since the day of her thirteenth birthday. Jobal smiled, faintly, as she remembered the moment when Padmé had pulled it off of her bed and looked at it disgustedly.

"_I'm tired of looking at this old thing," Padmé said, as she snatched it off of her bed and tossed it over on the floor beside her mother as Jobal passed her the thick, new blanket that she had bought for her for her birthday. "You can throw it away, Mom. I don't ever want to see that old thing again."_

"I think we'll keep it," Jobal whispered to herself, echoing her own words from so long ago as she lost herself in that precious memory; she remembered how she had picked it up from the floor and begun folding the old, brightly colored patchwork blanket, and how Padmé had shaken her head and looked at her disgustedly as she placed it on that shelf in her closet.

"_I don't know why you're keeping that ugly old thing," Padmé said, as she tossed the new one her mother had given her onto her bed as Jobal closed the closet door and looked back at her daughter with a smile, watching her as she tucked the new one neatly around the foot of her bed._

"_I'm keeping it because you like it so much," Jobal said with a laugh, as she walked over and helped Padmé finish fitting the new one on her bed; they had the bedclothes back on neatly in short order, and Jobal tossed the final pillow to her bright-eyed, pig-tailed daughter._

"_Come on, Padmé," Jobal said, as her daughter tossed the pillow onto the bed and started around toward her, "It's almost time for you to go."_

_The two of them walked out of the bedroom, and Jobal reached around behind her and turned off the light._

It was just a blanket; Jobal didn't really know why she had kept it that day so long ago. She looked down at it, as she ran her hand over it again, letting her fingers drag slowly across the thick, soft material. It had lain there, in the darkness of that closet, for over ten years, until that wonderful day nearly four years ago.

"_Do you have an old blanket that Anakin and I can use, Mom?" Padmé asked, leaning her radiant, happy face around the doorway of the kitchen where her mother stood, putting away the last of the food from their wedding reception. "We're going to go down and spend a little time in the meadow for a while."_

"_I think so, honey," Jobal said with a nod, turning and looking back at her daughter as she wiped her hands on the towel that hung near her waist. "There should be an old one or two in the closet in your bedroom, up on the top shelf."_

"_Here," Jobal said, a she reached down and picked up the small tray she had prepared for them earlier. Padmé took it from her and looked back up at her mother, her dark brown eyes twinkling happily as she looked at the basket of treats that rested on the tray._

"_What's this?" Padmé beamed, looking back up at her mother's smiling face._

"_I kind of thought the two of you might like to go to your spot in the meadow tonight," Jobal smiled back at her. "The bride and groom never get to eat anything at their own wedding," she said with a laugh, "so there's plenty of food there for both of you."_

"_And," Jobal said, leaning over and whispering in Padmé's ear, "a very nice bottle of wine and two glasses," she said as Padmé laughed softly as she leaned back and winked at her. "Compliments of me and your father."_

"_Thanks, Mom," Padmé laughed brightly, and Jobal chuckled as Padmé leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, and then turned around and headed back down the hallway to fetch the blanket from her closet._

It had been transformed, changed forever, just as the two of them had been, ever since that moment when Padmé had pulled it from her closet, and she and Anakin had taken it down to the meadow with them for the very first time, on their wedding day.

It had traveled with them when they had gone back to Tatooine to search for Anakin's mother the day after their wedding, keeping Anakin warm as Padmé had covered him with it as he slept in the cabin on the way. It had kept Padmé warm that terrible night when she had been injured in the Tusken camp, when Anakin had retrieved it from the ship and placed it over her as she lay sleeping, Beru's dermal generators working to heal her vicious wounds. It had traveled with them to Geonosis, and it had looked after Padmé once again, keeping her warm as she and Anakin traveled back to Coruscant.

It wasn't just a blanket; it was _their _blanket, a wonderful image of the love that bound her youngest daughter and her husband together. It was as bright and colorful as their life together, as soft and warm as the love that flowed so strongly and effortlessly between them.

Jobal sighed deeply, as she squeezed their blanket tightly against her chest; Padmé had been gone almost two hours now, yet it seemed to Jobal like she had been gone for a month. She looked up slowly, as she heard Sola's footsteps behind her, and she watched as her eldest daughter sat down slowly on the couch beside her.

"You okay, Mom?" Sola asked softly, placing her hand gently on her mother's shoulder as she gazed at Jobal's deeply worried face.

"I can't believe she left it," Jobal said, as she looked back down at the blanket in her lap again. "She never goes on a trip without it."

"She'll be fine, Mom," Sola said, smiling softly as she squeezed her mother's shoulder reassuringly. "She just couldn't sit here and worry about him any longer," she said, as she watched Jobal sigh deeply and nod her head slowly. "I'm surprised that she lasted as long as she did."

"Besides," Sola said, smiling at her mother reassuringly, "The first thing she's going to try to do is contact Anakin," she said. "Once he finds out she's on her way to find him, he's going to head straight for her. He's not going to let anything happen to her."

"I hope so," Jobal said, nodding her head slowly, and Sola watched for a long moment as her mother tossed the blanket over her and leaned back against the couch; Sola leaned back against the couch and sighed, worriedly, as the two of them sat quietly in the living room, watching the fire as its light danced brilliantly off the walls around them.

* * *

Yoda sat quietly on the thick, soft couch in Bail Organa's study; his eyes were closed, and the tiny Jedi Master sat perfectly still, his hands folded in his lap as he meditated, allowing the soothing energy of the living Force to flow through him.

The bandage on his hand was evident, yet the wounds that he had suffered on the inside were far more painful than the deep burn where the Dark Lord's weapon had sliced into his small hand.

He was all that remained of the Council; his companions, his friends that he had known for so long, were all dead; indeed, as far as he knew, he, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the younglings that his two companions had rescued were all that remained of the once noble Jedi Order. Sidious had been thorough, more so than he or anyone else had ever envisioned; Yoda felt another dagger of pain and sorrow slice through his troubled heart as he reflected on the loss that they had suffered in the past few hours.

What troubled him even more now, though, was what he now sensed as he stretched out into the living Force with his feelings. He had feared that this might happen, that the stress of the situation that they now found themselves in would prove too much for her, that the image that he had foreseen through the Force several nights before might become all too real.

Yoda took a long, deep breath, opening his eyes as he exhaled slowly. Padmé was on her way to find Anakin, that much he knew, and there was little, if anything, he, Anakin, or anyone else could do to stop her.

"Stubborn, that girl is," he sighed under his breath, as he turned and looked thoughtfully at the _Book of The Whills_ as it lay on the couch beside him, rubbing his hand gently across its cover. "Like her husband."

Yoda reached down and picked up his small cane, and then stood up and looked silently out the window for a long moment at the thousands of lights that twinkled across Coruscant's landscape in the darkness. He turned around slowly, and then made his way out of Bail's study and back down the hallway toward the main living area of the senator's residence, where he could hear the voices of the younglings echoing through the hallways ahead of him.

* * *

Bail looked up from the chair where he sat, and watched as the tiny Jedi Master strode slowly into the chamber, his tiny cane echoing off of the ornate tile floors of the large receiving room where he, Breha, and several of the younglings sat.

"Off you go, now," Bail said, as he slipped the young Twi'lek girl who sat in his lap down to the floor, and Yoda watched with a smile as the youngster looked at him with a sheepish grin, and then ran across the room to join several of the other children who sat at the entertainment console in the corner of the room, its lights flashing brightly as they laughed and took turns at the game they were quietly playing.

Yoda looked up at Bail as he stood up and watched the children for another moment, and then turned and walked over to join Yoda as he stood near the doorway.

"I'd forgotten how enjoyable spending time with young ones like this could be," Bail said, folding his arms across his chest and looking back at Yoda as the Jedi Master looked up at him.

"Truly wonderful, it can be," Yoda replied, nodding his head slowly. "Trained the younglings for many years, I have," Yoda said, turning and looking back at the small group that laughed and played happily in the corner of the large, ornate chamber. "Enjoyed it immensely, I always have."

Bail quietly as Breha walked over and knelt beside the youngsters for a moment, watching them as they played contentedly with each other. "Breha's often spoken to me about children," Bail said thoughtfully as he watched his wife tussle the hair of the small boy closest to her roughly and look at him with a smile. "I've always felt that I was far to busy for such things," he said quietly, as he looked back at Yoda's face as he smiled up at him.

"Perhaps it's time that I reconsidered that decision," Bail said, nodding his head slowly as he turned and looked at his lovely young wife again for another long moment.

"Indebted we are to you, Senator," Yoda said after a long pause, nodding at Bail as the tall, lean senator turned his attention back toward him. "Rescued them, we could not have, without your help."

"I'm afraid I did far less than I would have liked to, Master Yoda," Bail sighed, as he and Yoda turned and began to walk slowly toward the doorway through which Yoda had come. "I can't help but feel that we should have seen all of this coming long ago."

"Done all that you could, you have," Yoda said, nodding his head as he and Bail took another step toward the doorway. "Only one thing more, will I ask of you," Yoda said quietly, as he stopped suddenly and turned his attention back toward Bail as he stopped and looked down at him.

"A ship, I need," Yoda said, as Bail looked at him, his expression growing deeply concerned as he heard Yoda's unexpected request. "And a fast one."

"Is something wrong, Master Yoda?" Bail asked, his countenance growing more troubled. "I assumed that you would stay here with us, until Anakin and Obi-Wan returned from Mustafar."

"Changed, the situation has," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly as he looked up at Bail thoughtfully. "Imperative, it is, that I leave immediately, and get to Mustafar as soon as possible."

Bail looked at Yoda thoughtfully for a long moment. "Of course, Master Yoda," he said, nodding his head as he looked down at the tiny Jedi Master. "I'll just need a few moments, "he said. "I'll come with you."

"Unnecessary, that is," Yoda said, shaking his head as he waved his injured hand in front of him. "Done enough, already, you have," Yoda said. "Pilot the ship myself, I will."

"Nonsense," Bail said, shaking his head and turning back toward the chamber where Breha sat with the children. "Besides," he said, as Yoda looked up at him, somewhat puzzled, "Mustafar's a considerable distance from here. If you truly want to get there as fast as possible, you're going to need my help."

Yoda stood quietly, and he watched Bail from his spot near the doorway as his friend walked quickly across the room and knelt beside his wife.

* * *

Yoda and Bail walked briskly down the long hallway toward the hangar; Bail was tall, quite tall indeed, and his strides were long, but he found that Yoda had no trouble keeping up with him, even when he walked as quickly as he did now.

"This ship's brand new, Master Yoda," Bail said, as he put his arm through the other sleeve of his dark brown leather jacket and pulled it up onto his shoulders. "It's less than two months old, and the hyperdrive unit was installed less than two weeks ago."

"Interested, I am," Yoda said, his small cane echoing through the hallway as he walked quickly at Bail's side, "to see this ship. What kind, did you say," Yoda said, looking back up at his friend as they walked, "this ship is?"

"It's a new, experimental Corellian cruiser," Bail said, as he and Yoda turned the corner of the long hallway and started toward the exit to the hangar at the rear of Bail's large senatorial residence. "I haven't had a chance to fully test it yet, but its builders tell me that it's supposed to be the fastest design they've ever come up with," he said, as he turned and looked back down at Yoda as they made their way along the hallway to the door that led to the hangar.

Bail reached down and opened the door, and Yoda walked past him and out into the large, domed hangar, looking up at the ship that stood near the far side of the hangar as Bail stepped quickly through the door and closed it behind him.

"Peculiar indeed, this design is," Yoda said, as he squeezed the handle of his cane tightly in his unwounded hand and looked up at the strange looking ship thoughtfully.

"They assured me," Bail said, as he and Yoda started across the hangar toward the large, platinum-silver vessel, "that she's the fastest ship in the quadrant," he said, as they walked quickly toward the ship. "I think it's time that we put that claim to the test."

Yoda watched as Bail reached up and pressed the control panel just under the center of the ship's two large, conical observation decks that protruded from its nose, and they both watched as the long entry ramp dropped down from the center of the ship as its interior lights came up to full brightness.

"After you, Master Yoda," Bail nodded, bowing politely and gesturing toward the ramp. "Welcome aboard the maiden voyage of the _Millenium Falcon."_

Bail followed along behind the Jedi Master as they made their way up the ramp; it began to close quickly, after a long moment, and the hangar doors above them began to open as the _Falcon's _engines began to whine, faster and faster, as Bail brought the ship's systems online and prepared them for departure.

* * *

Breha looked out of the window of Bail's study, and she folded her arms tightly across her chest as she watched the large, flat ship rise up through the hangar doors, spinning slowly as it's three-point landing gear retracted and stowed quickly beneath it. She could see her husband, and Master Yoda, sitting inside the large, transparent cylindrical cockpit at the front of the ship as it turned slowly toward the city beyond their residence.

She took a deep breath, squeezing her arms tightly, as she watched the long, brilliant blue-white impulse engine at the rear of the ship flash brightly, as Bail powered the ship up and into the dark evening sky, leaving a trail of swirling plasma behind them.

"Be careful, Bail," Breha said softly, sighing deeply, as she watched her husband's ship until it disappeared into the cloud banks high above them. She stood quietly at the window for a long moment, and then turned as she heard the soft knock on the door behind her.

"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, my lady," the young woman said, nodding politely, "but I thought you might like to know that we have dinner ready," she said. "We were about to round the children up now. I know they're probably quite hungry."

"Thank you, Maria," Breha said, smiling and nodding thoughtfully at her. "Some of the children are in the main reception hall," she said. "We'll need to round them up, too. I'll be down to join you shortly."

"Yes, ma'am," Maria said, smiling and nodding politely, and Breha watched as the dark-haired young woman turned and walked quickly down the hallway to the main hall. Breha turned and looked out of the window again at the dark evening sky, and she rubbed her arms slowly, as she thought of the events of the past few days, and where her husband and Yoda were going, now.

She turned and walked slowly back through her husband's study, still holding herself tightly; she reached over and turned out the light as she reached the doorway and, glancing back toward the window once more, she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her, and made her way back down the hallway, toward the sounds of the children that now filled her residence.


	14. Showdown on Mustafar

_**Chapter 14: Showdown On Mustafar**_

If there was a single place in the galaxy that evil would have been happy to call home, Mustafar was it.

It was a violent planet; its atmosphere was breathable, but only in the strictest sense of the word. The smell of sulfur and ozone hung thick in the air, carried on Mustafar's ever-blowing winds across the barren, violent landscape. Its surface was a sea of tectonic upheaval, and the volcanoes and fissures that marked the places where the planet's thick crust rubbed and collided violently against one another spewed molten hot lava and thick, gray ash high into the planet's brownish-red sky, where it mixed with the angry, dark clouds that swirled through the planet's atmosphere.

The small gunship fired its landing thrusters, kicking up huge, thick plumes of ash as it rotated slowly and descended toward the surface. Its running lights flickered and flashed, as the combined force of the thrusters and the swirling wind surrounded the ship in a thick fog of ash and dust.

The engines began to wind down as the landing gear touched the rocky terrain, and the ship's small, center-mounted entry ramp began to open and drop quickly toward the surface as the thick cloud of ash began to settle.

Darth Vader pulled his hood up over his head, as he stepped into the ship's open doorway; he narrowed his eyes and blinked, several times, as he felt the fine dust begin to sting his eyes. He reached up with his gloved hands and pulled the thin, black cloth mask that hung around his neck up and over his nose, as his narrow, glowing eyes looked out across the landscape toward the massive stone facility that jutted from the face of the nearby mountain a few hundred meters from him. He could see the lights that flickered through the massive, roughly hewn stone archway that lead into the underground facility as the thick, ash laden air whipped over the rocky terrain.

They were in there, that much he knew; he had one last job to carry out for his dark master, and he relished this one, even more so than before, since he had heard Nute Gunray's haughty, angry voice on the comlink less than an hour ago. He closed his eyes, and he could feel the powerful wave of hate and anger that brewed within him.

_Let the hate flow through you, my young apprentice, _his master had instructed him, on many occasions; it was a lesson he had learned well, as his master well knew. Love was something he had never known, and from his earliest moments, as the first twenty years of his life had been compressed into only four by the Kaminoan scientists who had created him, he had been immersed in the dark, sinister counterpart of what his master had told him was a weak, useless emotion.

Hate was something that he lived for; he thrived on it, and his black, merciless heart consumed it at a rate that had even alarmed his first master, Count Dooku.

Vader remembered the conversation that he had overheard a short time before his venerable old master had fallen under his searing, crimson blade, just a day or two before the two of them had traveled to join General Grievous aboard the _Imperial Hand_.

"_He's unstable, My Lord," Count Dooku said, as he looked at Darth Sidious' image on the holopad in front of him. "I fear that the Kaminoans may have underestimated the effect that the midichlorian insertion process would have on him."_

"_Unstable?" Sidious asked, as Vader peered silently around the corner of the laboratory where Dooku stood, wringing his hands slowly as he addressed his master. "Unstable in what way?"_

"_He is given to fits of extreme anger and rage, My Lord," Dooku said, nodding his head as he addressed his master. "He is sadistic, almost beyond comprehension. I fear that the artificial insertion and manipulation of his midichlorian count may have had unpredictable results."_

"_He is able to control the Force, is he not, Lord Tyrannus?" Sidious said, his impatient, brooding scowl gazing out at Dooku from underneath his thick, dark hood._

"_Yes, My Lord," Dooku said, nodding his head with a deeply worried look on his face. "But his abilities are not natural. He can manipulate the Force, but not consistently. He falters, on occasion, and when he does, he becomes exceedingly violent and irrational. I fear we may have trouble controlling him."_

"_Let me worry about that, Lord Tyrannus," Sidious said, nodding his head as Dooku took a long, thoughtful breath and sighed deeply. "Your concern is to have him ready in time to rendezvous with General Grievous aboard the Invisible Hand. Concern yourself with that, and that alone. Is that understood?"_

"_Understood, my Master," Dooku said, and he bowed reverently, as Vader watched from the shadows as his long time instructor in the Dark Side powered down the transmitter, and then walked slowly out of the laboratory into the darkness._

"You did have a little trouble controlling me, didn't you, Master Dooku?" Vader said, an evil smirk spreading across his face as he reached down and checked the lightsaber that hung at his waist. He looked back up after a long moment, toward the lights that flickered from the rocky structure several hundred meters away from him.

"But then," Vader sighed, almost contentedly, as he pulled his cloak tight around him and started down the ramp toward the planet's surface, "you were never the one I swore to obey."

He had one last mission to complete for his dark master, and it would soon be over; the sniveling, backstabbing leaders of the Separatists would soon be rewarded richly for their involvement in his master's plans, he would see to that. Vader smiled to himself, as he stepped off the ramp and onto the planet's hard, dusty surface and began to make his way quickly through the swirling dust toward the rocky archway ahead of him.

This mission would soon be over, and then he would be free to pursue the one thing that he had asked of his Master. There was, after all, only room in this world for one of them, and the thought that he was out there angered him, greatly; it was a problem that need to be solved, and he would see it done...

He would find this Anakin Skywalker. And he would destroy him.

* * *

Anakin leaned over the armrest at his side, as he reached over to the pilot's seat where Obi-Wan slept, taking hold of the sleeve of his old master's tunic with his right hand. "Master," Anakin said, as he tugged several times on Obi-Wan's sleeve, "Wake up. We're here."

Obi-Wan opened his eyes slowly, and he blinked hard several times, as he sat up slowly in the thickly padded chair, extending his arms out to his sides and stretching hard as he yawned, deeply.

"Already?" Obi-Wan asked sleepily, taking a deep breath and blinking his eyes again as he glanced around the cockpit of their ship and looked back at Anakin. "How long was I asleep?"

"Only about an hour and a half," Anakin nodded, as he looked back out of the cockpit window, to the large, reddish-black planet that quickly began to fill their view screen. "We should be on the ground in about ten minutes."

Obi-Wan turned and looked out toward the planet that loomed ahead of them, and then looked back down to the console in front of him. "Were you able to keep our fix on his ship?" he asked, as he glanced to the bright yellow dot that flashed on the display in the center of the ship's main console.

"Yes," Anakin said, nodding his head as he reached over and punched up the controls on the navigation computer, preparing to bring them into the planet's atmosphere on their final approach. "He landed about five minutes ago," Anakin said, as he looked back over to his old master, as Obi-Wan studied the large yellow indicator that flashed, intermittently, on the long-range sensor display in front of them.

"The signal's weak," Obi-Wan said, as he tapped the controls and brought their ship's sensors up to full power. "It's dropping in and out."

"The planet's atmosphere is causing a lot of interference," Anakin nodded, as he turned his attention back to the cockpit window. "It should clear up once we get down to the planet's surface."

Obi-Wan frowned deeply, as he suddenly saw a second indicator flash on the display, just for a moment, and then disappear again. "That's funny," Obi-Wan said, as he reached down and adjusted the sensor controls again.

"What?" Anakin asked, turning his attention from the window back to Obi-Wan's puzzled face.

"The sensors were picking up another ship, just behind us," Obi-Wan said, as he watched the display intently for a long moment. "It was there for a moment, but it's gone now."

"Are you sure?" Anakin frowned, as he watched Obi-Wan study the display. "We're dropping into the upper parts of the atmosphere now," he said. "The sensors are showing an awful lot of sulfur and trace metals. Maybe it was just a reflection."

"I suppose that's possible," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head and looking back up at Anakin, as his thoughts shifted once again to the one they were following. "Have you been able to get a fix on the spot where Vader landed?"

"Barely," Anakin said, shaking his head. "The sensors aren't working very well through this metallic mess, but I was able to get something on the infrared."

"There appears to be some type of structure near the place where he landed," Anakin said, as he turned his attention to the ship's computer console. "It might be another droid factory, judging from what I was able to pull up on the infrared imager a few minutes ago."

Obi-Wan looked at the display in front of him, as Anakin tapped the control pad on the ship's console quickly, pulling up the images he had recorded. He looked intently at the brightly colored, somewhat obscured recording; he eyes were immediately drawn to the three bright white and yellow plumes that appeared to roll up from the planet's surface against the dark red background of the infrared image.

"Exhaust vents," Obi-Wan said, nodding as he looked back at his companion in the copilot's seat. "Just like the ones we found on Utapau."

"And Geonosis," Anakin nodded. "It's a pretty fair bet that the Separatists have those factories strewn across the galaxy."

"And that we may find a lot of those droids waiting on us when we get there," Obi-Wan replied, nodding his head as he looked up at Anakin, as they both exchanged a grim, thoughtful expression.

"Why is it, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a deep sigh, leaning back in his chair again, "that you and I always seem to get more than we bargain for on these missions?"

"I don't know, Master," Anakin sighed in reply, shaking his head slowly as he turned and looked back at his friend for a long moment. "For two guys who never went looking for trouble, we sure seem to find our fair share of it, don't we?"

"We do indeed," Obi-Wan sighed, smiling weakly back at Anakin, as his young friend turned and looked back out of the cockpit window again. Obi-Wan watched him, for a long moment; he looked back out of the window in front of him again, and then turned his attention back toward Anakin again.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, as he looked down at his lap for a moment, "Just in case anything should happen, there's something I've been wanting to say to you."

"What is it, Master?" Anakin asked, turning and looking back at Obi-Wan's thoughtful face.

"I know how hard it was for you, and for Padmé, to make the choice to come with me that night," Obi-Wan said, looking at Anakin with a deeply thankful expression on his bearded face. "I just wanted to say thank you."

"You're the closest friend I've ever had, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he looked at his young companion. "And you've become a great Jedi Knight," he said with a proud smile. "I know Master Qui-Gon would be proud of you."

Anakin smiled, and he turned and looked back out of the window ahead of him for a long moment. "Thank you, Master," he said quietly, as he turned and looked back at Obi-Wan with a smile. "That means a lot, coming from you."

Anakin sat quietly for a moment, and Obi-Wan watched him as he reached over and trimmed down the engines as they started their descent into the planet's atmosphere. "And just for the record," Anakin said quietly, as he looked back up at him, "you were always, and still are, a lot more than a mentor to me," Anakin said. "You're the only father I've ever known."

Anakin's smile widened, as he turned and glanced back out of the cockpit window in front of him. "I know there were some times when you weren't quite sure how I was going to turn out," he said with a chuckle. "And I have to admit, I wasn't so sure, either, there for a while. I hope I wasn't too much of a problem child."

"You had your moments," Obi-Wan chuckled, nodding his head. "And you did have me worried there for a while."

Obi-Wan took a long, deep breath, and then looked back at Anakin with a thoughtful smile. "But I can't think of anyone else that I'd rather have here with me now."

They looked at each other silently for a moment, and then Obi-Wan watched as Anakin pulled back on the control yoke as the planet's atmosphere began to glow as it slipped over the hull of their rapidly descending ship. "We should be on the ground in a few minutes, Master," Anakin said. "You might want to strap yourself in. The ride's probably going to get pretty bumpy from here on out."

Obi-Wan slipped the harness up and over his shoulder, fastening it tightly as he watched Anakin swing them down into the thick, cloudy atmosphere. They two of them sat in silence, as the ship began to bounce violently as Anakin brought them down toward the surface through the thick, angry clouds.

There really wasn't anything left that they could think of to say; they had already said what they needed to. They knew what they were getting themselves into, and they had since the moment that they had left Coruscant in pursuit of their quarry. They would just have to trust in the living Force, and in each other, that they would be able to get out of this one alive.

Anakin had, after all, made a promise. And the two of them were determined to keep it.

* * *

Padmé watched the stars that streaked by them suddenly shrink back to bright, shining points of light as Artoo disengaged the hyperdrive and reengaged the _Destiny's _sublight engines. She watched, with a growing sense of foreboding, as the angry, red planet began to loom large in window in front of her.

"Are you still tracking him, Threepio?" Padmé asked anxiously, as she saw the small indicator on the display of the _Destiny's _console flash on and off, intermittently.

"It appears, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, turning and looking back at her from his seat in the copilot's chair, "that they've just entered the planet's atmosphere. Their signal is intermittent at the moment, at best," he said, apologetically, as Padmé turned her anxious face back toward the view screen in front of her.

Padmé looked back over at Threepio, as she heard him begin to speak again as he studied the display in front of him. "What a dreadful planet," Threepio said, his electronic voice laced with a sense of nervousness, if that was actually possible for a droid. "The atmosphere is laced with trace chemicals of all kinds," he said, looking back up at his mistress as she listened to him intently. "Many of them are metallic. It's going to be very difficult for our sensors to penetrate that until we get down to the surface."

"See if you can pick up anything more on the infrared scanners," Padmé said, as she reached over and dialed up the power of the _Destiny's _sensor array to maximum. "I don't want to lose them."

"Artoo," Padmé said, as she glanced over her shoulder toward the little droid as he sat at the pilot's station behind Threepio, "go ahead and start the landing sequence."

Artoo let fly with a long series of whistled and clicks, and Padmé turned back to Threepio as he studied the display in front of him.

Threepio looked up, just in time to see Padmé wince and squeeze her eyes shut tightly, snatching her hands off the control yoke in front of her and grasping her stomach tightly as she moaned in pain. "OOooowwwww!" Padmé exclaimed, as the sharp, squeezing pain moved quickly from her lower back and across her stomach; it was the same pain she had felt a few hours earlier, only this time, it was considerably more intense.

"Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, standing up quickly and shuffling to her side. "Are you quite all right?"

Padmé squeezed her eyes shut, and she reached up and took hold of Threepio's metal arm tightly with her left hand; she sat quietly for a moment, as the pain began to subside again, and then she looked up at her tall, metal companion.

"I'm fine, Threepio," Padmé gasped quietly, nodding her head as she looked up at him. "It's nothing," she said, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "I'll be fine."

"Are you quite certain, Mistress Padmé?" Threepio asked, as he looked down at her intently. "Perhaps you should lie down on the bench for a moment," he said, as he gestured toward the bench in the passenger's compartment behind them.

"No," Padmé said, shaking her head as she gently pushed him back toward the copilot's seat. "I'll be fine. You just keep your eyes on that sensor array. Don't worry about me."

Threepio looked at her for another moment, and then he shuffled back and took his seat again at the copilot's station. He glanced over at Padmé for another moment, and watched her as she took a long, deep breath and rubbed her hands gently over her round stomach.

"We're getting a weak signal on the infrared," Threepio said, as he studied the display in front of him. "I believe that Artoo should be able to track them."

"Good," Padmé said, as she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

Threepio turned and looked back at Padmé; he paused for a just a moment, and then cocked his metal head as he looked at his mistress thoughtfully. "Mistress Padmé," he said, as she opened her eyes and looked back at him, "Don't you think that now would be a good time to try to contact Master Ani? Especially in light of…"

"No," Padmé said, shaking her head as she looked back out of the view screen in front of her. "If I try to contact him now, he'll just tell me to turn around and go home," she said, as she leaned back in the pilot's chair where she sat. "And I have no intention of going home without him this time."

"Scan for his ship, the minute we get through the atmosphere," Padmé nodded. "I want to put this ship down next to his, as soon as possible."

Threepio would have sighed, if it had been possible for him, as he saw the determined look on Padmé's beautiful face. She wasn't budging this time; she knew where she was going, and she had no intention of settling for anything less, and nothing, not even pain, was going to stop her.

"Yes, Mistress Padmé," he said, as he watched her place her hands back on the control yoke in front of her and squeeze it tightly as she looked out of the cockpit window. "Might I suggest, at least," he said, as Padmé turned and looked at him again, "that you let Artoo bring the ship in? I don't mean to be rude, but I for one would feel just a bit safer if he brought us in, under the current circumstances."

"That might not be such a bad idea," Padmé sighed, nodding her head slowly. Threepio studied her for a long moment, and then turned and watched the signal from Anakin's ship flicker on, then off, then on again, as they approached Mustafar's thick atmosphere.

Padmé took another long, deep breath, and she lowered her hands from the control yoke and placed them gently on her stomach again; she closed her eyes tightly, as she felt another twinge of pain run through her tired, worried body as Artoo turned the _Destiny _and started their descent to the surface.

* * *

"_He's late," _Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser clicked, in his native tongue, as he slapped his brown-skinned hand down on the smooth round table where he and his companions sat. _"Are you sure you gave him the correct coördinates?"_

"Of course I'm sure," Nute Gunray snapped, eyeing his companion across the table with an air of contempt. "Don't try to blame the incompetence of Master Sidious' apprentice on me."

"Perhaps he is merely delayed," Gunray's aid, Rune Haako interjected, as he watched Nute turn and look at him, his two almond-shaped black eyes glaring at him as he spoke.

Rune fell silent quickly, lowering his gaze to the table in front of him, as Viceroy Gunray's cold stare sent a chill down his spine. "If you wish to keep your head another day," Gunray snapped, glaring at his aid angrily, "then you will keep your tongue still between your teeth."

"He will be here," Wat Tambor, foreman of the Techno Union said, his voice ringing through the electronic voice box at the front of his thick grey environment suit, "Master Sidious has given us his word that Lord Vader will deliver the Chancellor to us."

"Master Sidious gave me his word once before," Nute Gunray said, turning his attention to the Techno Union foreman who sat across from him, watching as Wat adjusted the knob on the front of his environment suit.

"He assured me that he would deliver a certain senator from Naboo to me," the Viceroy said, as he stood up, kicking his chair back angrily and walking across the room, his hands folded behind his back as the others at the table watched him pace the floor, angrily. "He failed to deliver her to me then," he said, turning back and looking at his companions. "I fail to see why I should believe that he will make good on his promise to us this time."

"If I recall correctly," Passel Argente, chairman of the Corporate Alliance, said, as he leaned back in his chair and smiled slyly at the Viceroy's angry face, "she was delivered to you, as promised. You simply couldn't keep her," Passel said with a laugh, as he glanced around the table at his companions.

Nute Gunray felt himself trembling with anger as he listened to the laughter that echoed around the table; he glared back at Passel, as the tall, gangly Alliance leader leaned back in his chair and laughed at him as he folded his hands across his chest over his thick robes.

"Come, Viceroy," Passel said, extending his hand to the empty chair where Nute had sat a moment before, patting the armrest, "Come and sit down, before you fall down. I'm certain that Lord Vader will be here at any moment."

Gunray raised his hand angrily as he started to respond to Argente's insulting, condescending remark; he stopped and looked back toward the door, however, as he heard the heavy click of the latch, and his companions turned in their chairs and watched as the large, double doors began to swing open.

"You see, Viceroy?" Passel Argente said, as he turned back and looked at Gunray's angry face as the others watched the dark, hooded figure stride into the room toward them, his boots echoing off of the cold, hard floor as he walked. "Lord Vader has arrived," Argente nodded, as he turned and looked back toward Darth Sidious' apprentice with a smile. "Just as he said he would."

"My apologies, gentlemen," Darth Vader said, as he stopped, reaching up and pulling the mask down from his face as the Separatist leaders looked at him intently. "I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting," he said, a sinister smile spreading across his face as he peered out at them from underneath his hood.

The Separatists leaders watched from their places around the table, as Gunray walked angrily around the table toward Vader's hooded form. "Your apology is neither needed, or accepted," Nute Gunray snapped angrily, as he walked directly up in front of the Dark Lord's apprentice. "All that we require of you is that you deliver the Chancellor to us," he said, as he came to a stop directly in front of the young Sith. "Immediately."

Darth Vader looked up, as Viceroy Gunray came and stood directly in front of him, glaring at him. "Patience, Viceroy," he growled, as he looked up directly into Nute's large, black eyes.

"Where is the Chancellor?" Gunray snapped, as he glared up at Vader's cold, angry stare. "I demand that you hand him over to us, immediately!"

"I must apologize for the Viceroy's behavior, Lord Vader," Passel Argente said, leaning back and looking at Vader with a polite smile. "I'm afraid that patience, or manners, haven't been his strong points as of late," he said with a laugh, as the others around the table began to laugh with him.

The sound of the laughter that rang through the room was suddenly broken by the chilling sound of the weapon that powered up in Darth Vader's gloved hand. Passel Argente turned around as he heard the peculiar sound, and glanced back to the place where Vader and Viceroy Gunray stood toe-to-toe near the doorway of the room.

The smile vanished from his face, as it did from the faces of the others around him, as he saw the brilliant crimson blade that protruded from Nute Gunray's back. They sat in utter, stunned silence, and he felt a wave of terror sweep over him as he saw the haunting, yellow eyes that glared out at Gunray's trembling body from underneath Vader's hood.

Nute Gunray struggled to breath, as the incredible heat from Vader's crimson blade coursed through his body; he looked up, slowly, at the haunting yellow eyes that glared at him, piercing his very soul as cleanly as Vader's weapon had penetrated his body.

"You really should work on your manners, Viceroy," Vader growled, as he glared back at him. "You're really quite rude. It's going to get you into trouble some day."

The other Separatist leaders watched in horror as Darth Vader suddenly withdrew his blade from Gunray's trembling body, and then took a step back and watched as the Trade Federation Viceroy collapsed onto the hard, cold floor.

"Lord Vader," Passel stammered, his breath beginning to come in short, ragged gasps as he watched the dark clad Sith take a step toward them, "What have you done? What is the meaning of this?"

"I believe I've made my meaning quite plain, Chairman," Vader said, his crimson blade glowing brightly at his side as he took another step closer to the table as those around it began to scramble out of their chairs in fear. "I'm afraid that my master regrets to inform you that the terms of our agreement have changed."

Vader watched, with a great deal of satisfaction, as Wat Tambor suddenly ran toward the two doors behind him; Vader turned around quickly, stretching out his hand, and he smiled as the doors slammed shut just as Tambor reached them, and he watched as the Techno Union foreman tugged at the door's handles frantically.

Tambor turned around, and he watched with a sense of growing terror as Vader took several steps toward him; he felt his knees begin to buckle, and he slid slowly down toward the floor in fear as Vader approached him, raising his brilliant, crimson blade over his head.

The last thing he heard was the terror-filled screams of his companions, as they suddenly realized that none of them would ever leave this room alive.

* * *

Anakin cut the ship's engines, and the ship jolted hard as it dropped the last two or three feet onto its landing gear. He reached over and punched the control switch on the console in front of him, and he and Obi-Wan both struggled to free themselves from their harnesses as they heard the ramp at the back of the ship begin to open.

Anakin had sensed the terrible tremor a few moments earlier; he knew Vader was in there, and he could feel the fear and terror that surged through the Force from the massive stone structure that lay a short distance ahead of them.

"He's in there, Master," Anakin said, drawing his weapon with his right hand as he and Obi-Wan leapt from their seats and started to run toward the ramp at the back of the ship. "We've got to hurry."

They both stopped, for an instant, raising their arms and shielding their faces as they felt the fine dust begin to pepper their skin as they reached the top of the ramp. Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, looking out across the dusty, windblown landscape, as he felt the fine dust stinging his eyes. "Lovely planet," he shouted, over the continual roar of wind and thunder that filled the air. "Remind me to come back and build a vacation home here when all of this is over."

"Remember the old stories that the archive librarian used to tell the padawans at night, about that terrible place where the Sith first came from?" Anakin shouted, looking back at Obi-Wan.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head and looking out at the angry, violent planet.

"I think we found it," Anakin shouted, and they both stood for a moment, looking through the swirling clouds of dust and ash at the violent, primordial landscape in front of them.

They both bolted down the ramp, their weapons held tightly in their hands as the blades of their weapons blazed forth, glowing brightly in the heavy, dark air as they ran through the thick, swirling clouds of dust; Anakin lifted his arm to his face, shielding his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his tunic, as the sickening smell of sulfur filled his nostrils as he ran. He looked up, through his narrowed eyes, and he could see the towering plumes of lava that erupted from the volcanic vent that lay far behind the massive stone structure. The ground literally shook beneath their feet as they ran, and the air was filled with the rumble of the thunder that ripped through the sky as the massive plumes of ash drew huge bolts of lighting from the thick clouds above them.

The din was almost deafening; the sound of the almost continual thunder and the planet's strong wind filled their ears as they both ran, as fast as they could, toward the massive stone structure that lay several hundred meters away from them in the distance, toward the dark evil that they had followed halfway across the quadrant.

* * *

Padmé lifted her arm to her face, as the _Destiny's _entry ramp began to drop slowly toward the surface. She looked out, with a sense of disbelief, at the terrible, angry landscape; she glanced over for an instant, to the ship that rested several dozen meters from her. She could see its interior lights glowing brightly, and she looked out toward the rocky outcropping not far from them as Threepio shuffled quickly up and stood beside her as the sound of the wind and thunder filled the _Destiny's _cabin.

Padmé's eyes searched the landscape frantically, and she felt her heart leap in her chest as her eyes focused on the familiar, brilliant white shaft of light; she narrowed her eyes, just as the swirling dust cleared for a moment, and she watched as Anakin and Obi-Wan made their way up the long path toward the entrance to the massive stone structure ahead of her.

"Anakin!" Padmé shouted, as loudly as she could, over the din of wind and thunder. She raised her arm over her face again, as another gust of wind whipped by her.

"Anakin!" she shouted again, as she watched him and Obi-Wan disappear into the large, stone archway at the top of the path. _It's no use_, she thought to herself; he simply couldn't hear her.

"Threepio," Padmé said, turning her determined face toward her companion, "You and Artoo stay here. I'll call you on the comlink if I need you."

"Please, Mistress Padmé," Threepio pleaded with her again, as she threw the hood of her dark blue cloak up over her head and pulled it tight around her, "stay here with Artoo and I until Master Ani returns."

"I'll be back soon," Padmé said, as she took a step down the ramp and turned to look at him again. "Stay here with the ship."

Threepio shuffled to the edge of the ramp, waving his metal arms frantically as he watched her turn and run down the ramp and toward the stone structure several hundred meters from them. "Please, Mistress Padmé!" Threepio shouted anxiously, "Come back!"

Artoo rolled up beside his tall, metal companion, and he whistled sadly as he watched Padmé's dark blue cloak wave wildly in the strong wind as she ran toward the massive stone archway where she had seen Anakin and Obi-Wan disappear into the darkness.

"What have we done, Artoo?" Threepio said, turning and looking at his little companion helplessly, as they both watched their mistress run into the darkness. "We never should have let her come here. Master Ani told us to look after her, and now…"

Threepio paused, as he looked up and watched her again for another moment.

"What have we done?" he said, as another bolt of lightning lit the sky, sending another wave of thunder rolling across the angry, violent landscape.

* * *

Passel Argente's breath came in short, terrified gasps as he looked up at the dark, figure standing over him; he looked up, into Darth Vader's cold, unfeeling, eyes as he brought the tip of his humming, crimson blade close to Passel's terrified face.

"You crawl just like the worm you are, Chairman," Darth Vader said, watching with a dark satisfaction as the once haughty Separatist leader retreated along the hard, stone floor in front of him. "Much better than your companions. But I'm afraid that this time there's no hole for you to crawl into."

His companions were dead, and he glanced over at their bodies that lay strewn around the floor of the cold stone chamber. "Pl… please, Lord Vader," the terrified chairman stammered, his voice trembling violently with fear as he spoke, "I beg you, listen to me."

"Whatever your master's pay… paying you," he said, inching himself backwards, as Vader's crimson blade drew closer to his face, "I'll pay you triple. Please don't kill me, I beg you," he said, shaking his head slowly as he looked up in terror at the ominous, dark figure that towered over him. "Just… just let me leave here alive, and I… I swear, I'll make you an extremely rich man."

"Paying me?" Vader laughed, as he looked down at Argente's terrified face. "My good Chairman," he said with a sinister laugh as a wide, evil grin spread across his face, "You insult me."

The smile on Vader's face instantly vanished, and Passel felt his blood run cold as he saw the look of cold hatred and contempt that replaced it. "Do you think I'm just some common bounty hunter that can be bargained with?" Vader asked angrily, as he brought his blade even closer to Argente's terrified face, watching him with a sadistic satisfaction as he continued to inch back away from him, his face contorted in abject terror.

"I assure you," Vader said, nodding his head as his eyes began to glow fiercely as he summoned the power of the Dark Side that flowed so freely though him, "I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart."

The chairman of the Corporate Alliance shook his head slowly, lifting his arm up defensively in front of his face as he felt Vader's icy stare burn through him as the Sith lord slowly raised the saber in his hand up beside him.

"And if it's any consolation, Chairman," Vader said, as he raised his weapon, squeezing the hilt of his glowing, humming saber tightly in his hand as he glared down at the doomed Separatist leader, "My Master, Chancellor Palpatine, sends his regards."

Vader's evil smile returned, as he paused and looked down at the terrified, trembling man before him, as he saw the look of disbelief flash through Argente's terror-filled eyes as he realized, finally, that he had been played for little more than a fool. "I'll tell him you send yours, as well."

Argente's terrified scream echoed through the chamber, as Vader's crimson blade flashed brightly and came crashing down on him.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan both slid to a stop in the dark stone hallway; they both felt a cold chill run down their spines, as they heard the terrified scream echo off of the roughly hewn stone walls, and then fade slowly into the darkness around them. They both looked at each other for a moment, breathing hard, and then Obi-Wan lifted his hand and pointed toward the juncture in the hallway just ahead of them.

"It sounded like it came from down there," he said between quick, deep breaths, glancing quickly back at Anakin.

Anakin nodded his head, as he took several deep breaths of his own; the long sprint from their ship to the complex, through the thick, putrid air had been hard, even for a Jedi. "Let's go," he panted, as he placed his hand on Obi-Wan's back and nudged him ahead.

They both bolted down the hallway again, toward the juncture just ahead of them; the tunnel split at that point, the path to the right leading into a small, round chamber of some kind, and the one to the left winding up through another narrow passageway. They paused, only for a second, as they glanced into the small chamber, and, finding it empty, they both ran up the narrow passageway, the blades of their weapons illuminating the stone walls as they ran.

* * *

The familiar hiss filled the blood stained chamber, and Darth Vader looked down and watched as the crimson blade of his weapon disappeared into the smooth, metal hilt in his right hand. He looked up from Passel Argente's now lifeless body, and looked around the now silent room.

"My Master said you were a vicious, evil man, Chairman," Vader said, as he lifted the hilt of his weapon up in front of him, admiring it as he wiped several drops of blood from the handle with his gloved hand, "just like your companions."

"I for one will sleep better tonight, knowing that scoundrels like yourselves aren't out there traipsing about the galaxy, preying on innocent people," Vader sighed, as he looked up from his weapon and down at Argente's lifeless body again.

"Well, Chairman," he sighed again, his eyes quickly scanning the room once more as he surveyed his horrible handiwork, "I'd say that this pretty much concludes our business."

Vader returned the weapon in his hand to his belt, and then pulled his cloak back over it, looking down at Argente's body one last time. "Now if you'll excuse me, Chairman," he said, "I've other business to attend to."

He turned around and, laughing under his breath, he walked quickly back toward the doorway that lead into the long dark tunnel. His boots echoed off the hard stone walls, and he stretched his hand out in front of him; the doors flung open wide, and with his heartless, cold laugh still echoing through the chamber, he stepped through the doors and out into the hallway.

* * *

Vader had barely stepped into the hallway through the doors, when he stopped, instantly; he turned to his left as he heard them, and a look of shock and surprise spread across his hooded face as he saw the two Jedi Knights round the corner a short distance from him. He instinctively took a step back, watching as their boots slid on the stone floor a short distance as they stopped abruptly in front of him, the combined glow of their weapon's blades filling the dim hallway with a blue-white light.

Anakin had prepared himself for this moment; he had seen this face, almost every time he closed his eyes, since that moment when he had first beheld it onboard the _Invisible Hand. _He closed his eyes, just for a moment, and drew his thoughts inside himself, focusing on what Padmé had told him, that night he had woken from that terrible nightmare.

_There's only one Anakin Skywalker. He's my husband, and he's my life. You can't clone that._

Anakin reached deeply into the Force that flowed through him, and he held tight to Padmé's words, and his love for her, as he struggled to push back the cold chill that tried to overtake him as he saw those familiar, haunting yellow eyes staring back at him from underneath that thick hood.

Obi-Wan could only imagine what this was like for Anakin; he had prepared himself, or at least he thought he had, for what he knew that they would face. He knew who Vader was, and where he had come from; but, as his eyes finally beheld the face that glared out at him from the dim light beneath that thick, dark hood, as the nightmare suddenly became stark reality, he felt the one emotion overtake him that he hadn't expected;

Fear.

Time seemed to stop as Obi-Wan stared at Vader's face; it was Anakin's, but it then again, it wasn't. The features were similar, but the face that stared back at him carried a cold rage, a blind, unfeeling hatred that he could never have imagined ever seeing in the face of his friend. It was a twisted, cold and heartless face, and it unnerved him, greatly, as he looked at the nightmarish apparition before him. He took a deep breath, reaching into the Force as deeply as he could, as he sought desperately to calm himself.

"Well, well," Vader said, as he turned slowly and faced the two Jedi who stood a short distance from him, placing his hands on the belt at his waist. "Isn't this a surprise."

Anakin swallowed hard, as he felt that chill run down his spine as he heard that hauntingly familiar voice address them. He said nothing, and he squeezed the hilt of his weapon tightly, bringing it up in front of him, its brilliant, white blade humming loudly as he stared at Vader.

"Anakin Skywalker," Vader said, as he saw the familiar face looking back at him, illuminated in the glow of Anakin's white blade. "How wonderful to see you again."

"And you would be Obi-Wan Kenobi," Vader added, as he turned his glowing, yellow eyes toward Obi-Wan as he stood at Anakin's side. "I expected that I'd find the both of you together," Vader said, nodding his head. "Thought I must admit, I'm a bit surprised to find you both here, now."

"I don't know how you found me," Vader smirked, as he raised his gloved hands and clapped them together, slowly, several times, "but bravo, indeed."

"It's over, Vader," Obi-Wan said, as he brought his own weapn up close beside him, its bright blue blade humming loudly in the dark, stone hallway.

"Over?" Vader said, a look of feigned surprise spreading across his face; he laughed, for a long moment. "Master Kenobi," he chuckled, shaking his head as he looked back at Obi-Wan, "It's only begun."

"You're coming back to Coruscant with us, Vader," Anakin said, a look of grim determination on his face as he glared at Vader's hooded form. "Drop your weapon."

Darth Vader turned and looked back at Anakin's determined face; he snorted, and then stared at Anakin for a long moment. "And if I refuse to come quietly?" he said, after a long pause, tilting his head as he turned to face Anakin's head on.

"Refuse if you want, but you're coming back with us," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly, as he glared directly into Vader's cold, unfeeling eyes. "You can either walk, or we'll carry you," Anakin said firmly, nodding his head at the Sith who glared back at him. "It's your choice."

"I see," Vader said, nodding his head, as he studied Obi-Wan for a long moment.

"I make you a counter proposal, Anakin," Vader said with an evil smirk, finally, as he lifted his left hand from his waist and gestured at Obi-Wan. "You face me, right now, right here, alone," Vader said, as Anakin listened intently to him, "and I'll let your friend here live, along with everyone else you care about."

Anakin glanced back at Obi-Wan as he suddenly spoke. "No deal, Vader," Obi-Wan said firmly, shaking his head as he spun his blade quickly at his side and brought it up in front of him. "Walk out, or we carry you out," he growled back at the Sith in front of him, watching as the sadistic smirk disappeared from Vader's face.

"Either way," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin turned his eyes back to Vader and spun his own blade quickly at his side as he and his old master both took a step toward Vader's dark form, "You're going to have to deal with both of us."

Vader nodded his head, and he reached down with his right hand, tossing the edge of his cloak back. "Very well," he sighed, shaking his head as he reached down and retrieved his weapon from his belt. "I tried to be charitable," he said, as he swung the hilt of his weapon up in front of him and quickly ignited the brilliant, crimson blade, admiring it as he brought it up close to his face. "But have it your way."

"A thing of beauty, isn't it?' Vader asked, as he turned his eyes from his crimson blade and looked back at the two Jedi, watching as Anakin and Obi-Wan raised their blades up defensively.

"By the way, Anakin," Vader said, the sadistic smirk on his face growing wider as he glared back at the young Jedi in front of him, "I think Master Windu thought I was you, when he asked me to help him in the Temple that afternoon," he said, as he moved his blade to his side a bit, so that he could see Anakin's face better.

"You should have seen the look on his face when I ran this through his chest," Vader said, shaking his head. "It was priceless. I really think he thought I was you," he laughed, as he glared directly into Anakin's eyes. "Just like all those others in the Temple did, just before they died."

Obi-Wan had heard enough; he could feel the same wave of anger brewing deep within him that he had felt when he fought General Grievous. "That's enough," Obi-Wan growled angrily, and he started to take a step toward Vader, the hair on the back of his neck bristling as he listened to Vader goad Anakin mercilessly.

Obi-Wan paused, and he glanced over at Anakin's determined face as he suddenly felt his young friend's hand on his arm; Anakin never took his eyes off Vader. "Don't listen to him, Master," Anakin said quietly, as he squeezed Obi-Wan's forearm tightly. "We'll take him both together," he said, nodding his head as he felt Obi-Wan begin to push back the wave of anger that Vader had stirred in him. "Left or right?" Anakin asked, as he glanced back at his old mentor.

"Right sounds good to me," Obi-Wan said, as he glared back at Vader as the Sith lowered his weapon and stared coldly at them.

"Good," Anakin nodded, and they both took a step toward Darth Vader, as the Sith took several steps back from them and grasped his weapon tightly in his gloved hands. "You always did like the right better."

Darth Vader grit his teeth and swung his blade up as quickly as he could, as the two Jedi Knights suddenly lept toward him, their blades flashing brightly, as they began to rain blow after blow down on him; the narrow stone hallway echoed with the sound of crashing, crackling sabers as Anakin and Obi-Wan worked together, their blades flashing in perfect concert with one another, as they drove Vader back, steadily, toward the large chamber at the end of the hallway behind them.

* * *

Padmé stopped, just inside the massive, stone archway that lead to the narrow, dimly lit tunnel; she coughed several times, hard, and she covered her mouth and took several long, deep breaths as she leaned against the hard, stone wall for a moment, trying to catch her breath.

She fought back the urge to gag, as the sickening smell of sulfur filled her lungs; the air was clearer here, inside the chamber, but only barely. She closed her eyes, as she felt another wave of pain clutch at her lower back, and then travel to her stomach.

_It can't be, _Padmé thought to herself, shaking her head slowly as she placed her hands back on her stomach; she leaned back against the wall and took several deep breaths, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. _It's not time yet. You're just tired, that's all. Once you and Anakin go home, you'll be fine._

She stood there quietly, for a moment, until she felt the pain begin to subside again; she opened her eyes suddenly, though, as she heard the faint, familiar sound echo down the hallway to her from the distance. It was very faint, but unmistakable, and she turned and looked down the dim hallway as she felt the dark tremor travel through her.

"Anakin," Padmé whispered softly, and she turned and ran, as quickly as she could, down the dimly lit tunnel toward the sound of the sabers that clashed in the distance.

* * *

Vader stumbled backwards, through the opening of the tunnel and onto the wide, metal catwalk; the thick, metal cables that anchored the massive, aging structure to the curving, stone ceiling above on one side groaned and creaked as Anakin and Obi-Wan lept out onto it after him. Vader caught his balance quickly, spinning around and swinging his blade back up just in time to catch Anakin's flashing white blade and turn it aside.

The sound of their boots on the thick metal grating echoed around them as Vader lunged back at Anakin offensively, swinging his blade hard, and Anakin swung his blade first left, then right, deflecting both of the Sith's blows as he and Obi-Wan circled around Vader, one of them in front, one behind, as they both watched Vader's eyes flash as he glared at them both intently.

Anakin took several steps along the inside wall of the cavern as he circled around behind Vader, eyeing him intently as the Sith lord glared back at him. The sound of heavy machinery filled Anakin's ears as he glanced over, past the massive cables that anchored the catwalk to the ceiling high above him, toward the droid factory that stretched out far below them. His suspicions about this place had been confirmed, as he looked quickly at the massive conveyors that moved above and below the catwalk where they stood.

He could see the thick slabs of metal that moved along the conveyors over his head; he glanced down quickly through the grating under his boots, and he could feel the heat from the massive smelting ovens below them as he watched the brilliant orange molten metal bubble and spark angrily as it poured into the molds that crept alongside the huge, red-hot ovens.

He turned his eyes back to Vader, watching as the Sith lord turned, suddenly, and swung his blade hard at Obi-Wan, raining a series of furious blows down on him. Obi-Wan swung his blade smoothly, turning each blow aside, and Vader backed off, turning his eyes back toward Anakin again, as the two Jedi Knights circled around him as they moved closer to the center of the catwalk.

"Impressive," Vader said, nodding his head as he took several quick, deep breaths. "I wouldn't have expected the two of you to last this long," he said, as he glanced back at Obi-Wan, and then back toward Anakin again. "You two are doing much better than your poor, dead companions from the Council did."

"You talk an awful lot," Anakin said disgustedly, shaking his head as he leapt forward, his brilliant white blade whirling in perfect, symmetrical motions as he lashed out offensively at Vader, swinging his blade down against him, over and over again.

Vader reached deeply into the dark side as he struggled to turn aside Anakin's furious attack; he swung his blade hard and fast, as he struggled to turn aside Anakin's lightning quick blows, and then spun quickly as Obi-Wan countered with his own offensive, raining blow after blow down on the Sith lord. Their coördinated attack was beginning to wear on him, and Vader reached down, as deeply as he could, into the dark side of the Force, as he struggled to keep the two Jedi Knights at bay.

He had underestimated these two. The other Jedi that he had faced, he had faced as individuals; these two fought as one, and the confident smirk on his face disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, as he struggled to turn their perfectly timed attacks away. He realized, now, that if he didn't do something, and do something quickly, that these two could, and very likely would, destroy him.

Vader brought his blade around quickly as Obi-Wan lashed out at him again, reaching deeply into the dark side as he caught Obi-Wan's blade with his own, and then pushed the Jedi Master away from him as hard as he could. He looked up quickly, and extended his gloved hand toward the large stack of metal that moved slowly on the conveyor about ten meters above them.

"Master! Above you!" Anakin shouted, as his eyes followed Vader's outstretched hand and saw the large pile of metal shift violently on the conveyor.

Obi-Wan looked up, just in time to see the massive pile of jagged metal ingots fly off of the conveyor and plummet straight toward him. He leapt back, as hard as he could, just as the first of the heavy projectiles struck the metal catwalk with a deafening crash; he stumbled backwards, as he felt the catwalk buck and shake violently as the aging structure groaned under the incredible weight and impact of the thick chunks of metal. Obi-Wan felt his legs contact the edge of the low, wire railing, and he reached over and took hold of the thick suspension cable beside him as he struggled to catch his balance and keep himself from falling off the trembling catwalk.

Taking advantage of Obi-Wan's momentary vulnerability, Vader stretched out his hand toward him and, reaching deeply into the dark side of the Force, he pushed, as hard as he could, just as Obi-Wan struggled to catch his balance as he teetered precariously at the edge of the catwalk.

Obi-Wan felt the incredible wave of Force energy strike him; he struggled to hold on to the thick suspension cable, but the incredible strength of Vader's Force push tore his fingers from the cable, and Anakin watched, helplessly, as his friend and mentor was thrown back over the railing and down toward the smelting ovens far below them.

* * *

A mixture of pain and anger caused Obi-Wan to cry out loudly as he struck the narrow service catwalk hard; he had fallen about ten meters, and the impact of his body on the hard, rusty metal knocked the wind cleanly out of him. He struggled to catch his breath, as he looked up above him; he could see Anakin's saber flashing brightly as he and Vader fought furiously on the large catwalk above him.

His mind flashed back, for an instant, to that moment nearly fifteen years ago, when he and his master Qui-Gon had faced Sidious' old apprentice, Darth Maul, on Naboo. _Not again, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, as he watched his friend battle furiously against the Sith Lord who attacked him. He had fallen, then, much like he had now; that fall had cost his Master his life, as he had been forced to face the Dark Lord's servant alone. If he had only been there with him…

"Not again, damn it," Obi-Wan growled angrily, shaking his head as he struggled to get to find his breath and get to his feet. "That's not going to happen again. Not this time."

* * *

Vader turned around quickly, just as Anakin lunged at him; he spun sideways, barely turning Anakin's blade aside, as the brilliant white blade pierced the edge of his thick, black cloak. He stepped back, allowing Anakin's momentum to carry him past him, and he turned his body and kicked out at Anakin's legs with his boots, as hard as he could.

Anakin felt himself begin to fall, as Vader's boot stripped his legs out from under him; he grimaced with pain as he struck the catwalk hard, and then he rolled quickly back onto his feet and spun around as fast he could. As he stood up quickly, he looked up toward Vader again, just in time to see the heavy metal ingot that Vader hurled at him approaching him at incredible speed.

Anakin raised his hand, and he managed to catch the heavy piece of metal in time to slow it down somewhat before it struck him; had he not, it would surely have killed him, as it caught him squarely in the chest. He cried out in pain as he felt several ribs give way as the impact of the hard, heavy projectile sent him flying backwards and crashing to the catwalk.

Anakin saw an incredible explosion of stars as his head struck the unforgiving metal structure; his weapon clattered to the metal grating beside him, its blade disappearing into the hilt as it powered itself off, and he watched the ceiling above him spin wildly as he struggled to stay conscious. He opened his eyes, looking around frantically, as the room spun around him, fading to black, and back again; he caught sight of Vader, for an instant, and then he closed his eyes and cried out again in pain as he felt the bones in his chest grate painfully against one another as he tried to move.

The pain in his right side was incredible, and he could feel the despair that dogged him as he opened his eyes and glanced back, his head swimming, toward Vader. He struggled to lift himself up, and he struggled to raise his left hand, reaching for his other saber as the Sith Lord walked over toward him, his cloak billowing around his boots as he approached him.

Anakin could feel the darkness closing in around him, as he looked up and watched, with a growing sense of hopelessness, as Vader stared down at him for a long moment, and then started to raise his weapon up over his head.

"So much for the great Anakin Skywalker," Vader said with a laugh, as a sadistic grin began to spread across his face.

* * *

"Hang on, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he stood up; he could see Vader approach Anakin, could see the crimson blade glowing in his gloved hand through the grated floor of the catwalk above him. He fixed his eyes on the railing's edge far above him, and reached as deeply into the Force as he ever had; he felt the incredible surge of power begin to flow through him and, bending his knees slightly, he jumped, as hard as he could, rocketing off of the service platform and up toward the catwalk above him.

* * *

Anakin felt himself jump, as Darth Vader suddenly lurched violently, his terrible howl of pain filling the chamber around him as he screamed in pain. He saw the brilliant orange laser blast, just as it struck Vader cleanly in his left shoulder. He winced and recoiled instinctively, as he watched the force of the blast spin the Sith Lord around hard and knock him backwards across the catwalk and hard into the railing behind him.

Darth Vader screamed again in pain, his weapon clattering to the floor in front of him, as he turned and looked back across the catwalk toward the tunnel's entrance; he watched, in pain and utter amazement, as he saw the young woman who stepped quickly out onto the catwalk, the blaster in her hand leveled directly at him as she took several steps out from the tunnel's entrance and stared coldly at him.

"Get away from him, you son of a bitch," Padmé snapped angrily, as she walked slowly out on the catwalk toward him, keeping her blaster trained on him as she walked.

Anakin looked over, in disbelief, as her familiar voice suddenly shocked him back toward full consciousness. "Padmé?" he said, reaching up and clutching his chest in pain as he tried to lift himself up on his elbows; the broken bones in his right side sent a searing wave of pain through his body as he struggled to focus his eyes on her as she took another step toward him, never taking her eyes off Vader.

Vader snapped his head around to his left, as he heard Obi-Wan's boots contact the catwalk behind him.

Obi-Wan looked up, as he caught his balance on the catwalk; he stared, in complete and utter disbelief, as Padmé turned her eyes toward him for a split second, as she saw him land on the catwalk not far from her.

Vader turned his eyes back toward her, instantly; her momentary distraction was all that he needed, and he stretched out his hand toward her as her blaster moved off of him, for just a moment.

"Padmé!" Obi-Wan shouted, reaching down and taking his weapon from his belt again, as he saw Vader stretch his hand out toward her. "Get out of here," he shouted, as he started toward her. "Now!"

Padmé never had time to respond; she felt an incredible pressure at her throat, just as if two enormous, invisible hands wrapped themselves around her neck and began to choke her; her weapon clattered to the floor as she reached up, instinctively, clutching her hands to her throat, struggling to breath as she felt herself being lifted off of the metal catwalk.

The terrible tremor of fear that surged through her jarred Anakin back into full consciousness, like a white-hot iron, and he turned and watched, horrified, as Padmé was suddenly picked up and thrown, with incredible force, toward the hard, stone wall behind her.

"Padmé!" Anakin screamed, helplessly, as his beloved Padmé cried out in pain as she struck the unforgiving rock wall behind her, hard, and then slumped down to the catwalk and lay there, motionless.

An incredible pain ripped through his body, and his heart, as Anakin rolled onto his side and struggled to stand up; the vivid image from the dream that he had had that night in Obi-Wan's apartment was now all too real, as he looked at Padmé's helpless, motionless body lying on the floor a short distance from him.

Vader stretched out his arm toward his weapon, and the shiny, silver cylinder lept from the floor and into his outstretched hand. He turned around and glared at Obi-Wan, for a long moment, as Anakin struggled to get to his feet; Obi-Wan watched, with a sense of helplessness, as Vader turned and started to run along the catwalk toward the far side of the chamber.

Obi-Wan looked at him for another second or two, and then he bolted to Padmé's side, just as Anakin stumbled toward her and dropped to his knees beside her, scooping her up in his arms.

* * *

The pain that tore through his shoulder was excruciating; he screamed again, in pain and anger, as he placed his weapon back on his belt and stopped for a moment, turning and looking back behind him as he reached the tunnel on the far side of the catwalk.

He could see the two Jedi Knights, as they knelt beside the young woman who had fired on him; it was the break that he needed, and he turned around and, stumbling several times from the pain that tore through his shoulder, he started down the tunnel and toward the rear exit to the complex. He reached down, as he walked, and took the small transmitter from his belt; he pressed the small, red button near its center, and then returned it to its place. He glanced back at the two Jedi once more, and a painful grin spread across his face, as he turned and continued into the narrow, dark tunnel.

* * *

"Padmé!" Anakin called frantically, as he cradled Padmé tightly in his arms, reaching up and brushing her hair out of her face with his hand as he looked at her seemingly lifeless body.

Obi-Wan dropped to his knees beside them; he felt an incredible wave of despair sweep over him, as he looked up at Anakin's frantic, frightened face, as he pulled her limp body close to him.

The pain that coursed through his own body was incredible, but he ignored it, pushed it away, as he focused his attention completely on Padmé. "Padmé, please," he pleaded, as he gently patted her cheek with his hand, "Wake up, baby," he said, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked at her still, motionless body. "Wake up, please."

Anakin felt his breath catch in his throat, as Padmé's eyes suddenly fluttered for a moment; he felt his heart stop, though, as the incredible wave of pain that tore through her body suddenly swept over him, and he held her tightly as she suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and cried out in pain.

"Padmé," Anakin pleaded again, softly, patting her cheek again as her agonized cries subsided for a moment, "Talk to me, Padmé," he said, shaking his head frantically as he stroked her cheek gently. "Look at me, baby. Please."

"Ani," Padmé moaned softly, as she grimaced in pain once again, and then opened her eyes and looked up at him, apologetically. "Oh, Ani," she said, as tears began to well up in her eyes, "I'm so sorry, baby," she said, reaching up and touching his cheek with her left hand, as she clung tightly to his arm with her right.

"I'm so sorry, Ani," she said, as she grimaced in pain again, and then looked up at him. "I never should have come," she said, as a tear trickled slowly down her cheek. "I'm so sorry. I just couldn't…"

She paused and winced again, as another wave of pain swept through her body. "I just couldn't let you come here by yourself."

"It's okay, Padmé," Anakin said, laying his head gently on her forehead and pulling her as close to him as he possibly could. Obi-Wan felt his heart ache, more so than he could ever remember, as he watched the tear that trickled slowly down Anakin's cheek as he held her tightly. "It's okay, Padmé," he said quietly, as he clung tightly to her. "I know why you came."

Obi-Wan reached over and placed his hand on Padmé's, closing his eyes as he reached out and touched the life force that flowed through her. He recoiled, instinctively, as he felt the incredible pain that coursed through her body. "She's hurt, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, as Anakin turned his distraught face toward him. "Badly. We need to get her out of here."

"Ohh, Ani," Padmé sobbed, as she squeezed her eyes shut again, as another wave of pain swept through her, "Something's wrong," she whispered, as she turned her weak, tear-filled eyes toward his agonized face. "Something's wrong," she said again, as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly and cried out in pain again.

"OOOoohhhh," she cried, squeezing Anakin's arm tightly as Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan helplessly. "Oh, please," Padmé sobbed, as she clung to Anakin as tightly as she could. "Not now, please, it's not time."

Anakin knew, instantly, what was wrong. "The twins," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly as he looked helplessly at Obi-Wan. "Something's wrong with the twins."

Obi-Wan felt the rage and anger brewing inside of him; he watched Anakin for a long moment, as he laid his head on Padmé's again and held her tightly as she moaned from the pain that coursed through her body. He turned and looked back down the hallway where Vader had disappeared an instant before, as he felt that wave of anger growing stronger, deep inside of him. He knew it was wrong, but he didn't care anymore; Vader wasn't leaving this planet alive, not if he could help it.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, turning and looking back at Anakin intently, "Get Padmé back to the ship. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, then I want you to get her off this planet."

Anakin looked back at Obi-Wan; he saw the grim determination that flashed in Obi-Wan's eyes as he looked at him, and he knew exactly where he was going, and what he was going to do.

Anakin looked at his old mentor for a long moment, and then he turned and looked back across the catwalk; Obi-Wan turned and watched, as Anakin's lightsaber leapt from the metal floor and flew back into Anakin's outstretched hand.

Obi-Wan glanced down at the weapon in Anakin's hand as he held it out toward him. "Here," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan looked back up at him, taking Anakin's saber from his hand as he offered it to him. "Just be sure you bring it back to me, okay?" Anakin said, as he looked at Obi-Wan intently and nodded his head, slowly.

They both looked each other for a long moment, and then they turned back to Padmé as she cried out in pain again. "Remember," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin hugged her tightly, and looked back up at him. "Fifteen minutes, and then get her off this planet," he said. "Not a minute longer."

"Understood, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head, and he watched as Obi-Wan leapt to his feet and ran down the catwalk, as fast as Anakin had ever seen a Jedi move, toward the tunnel where Vader had disappeared only a moment before.

"Ooohhh," Padmé moaned again, and Anakin immediately turned his attention back to her, holding her tightly as he sensed the pain that coursed through her body as she squeezed his arm tightly.

"Just hang on, baby," Anakin said, and then he closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath, as he reached deeply into the Force, summoning all of his strength. He grit his teeth hard, and he pulled Padmé up into his arms and, holding her tightly, he stood up.

Anakin yelled in pain as he struggled to his feet; his chest screamed at him, sending waves of searing pain coursing though his body as the broken bones grated against each other as he stood up, and he staggered backwards into the stone wall behind him.

He stood there for a long moment, his breath coming fast and ragged, as he fought back the waves of searing pain that surged through his body. He looked down for just a moment at Padmé's agonized face, as she clung tightly to him, and he could feel her trembling from the pain that racked her body.

"Hang on, baby," Anakin said again, as he pushed the terrible pain that tore through his own body down inside him with all of his might. He took a long deep breath and, leaning forward away from the wall, he staggered forward for a couple of steps, and then started back across the catwalk toward the tunnel, cradling Padmé's body tightly in his arms as he made his way slowly back out of the facility and toward the ship.

* * *

"You'd better hold tight, Master Yoda," Bail said, as he reached up over his head and prepared to disengage the _Millenium Falcon's_ hyperdrive engines. "We're switching back to sublight engines now," he said, as Yoda turned and looked up at him from his seat in the copilot's station. "It's probably going to be a little bumpy, coming out of hyperspace this close to the planet."

The _Falcon _had turned out to be all that her builders had promised Bail, and then some; Yoda was rarely impressed with technology of any kind, yet he would have had to admit that even he felt a sense of amazement as he watched Bail prepare to drop them out of hyperspace as they approached the angry, reddish-black planet. He had traveled billions of miles across the vast expanse of space in his lifetime, yet never before had he traveled so far so quickly.

Yoda held tightly to the armrest of the copilot's seat, as he turned and looked back out of the _Falcon's _smoothly curved cockpit windows; the ship did indeed jolt, hard, as they impacted the outer edge of Mustafar's massive magnetic field at just under the speed of light. He glanced over as Bail pushed the impulse engine throttle levers at the center of the console forward as he powered up the _Falcon's _powerful impulse engines, and then he turned his deeply worried expression back toward the windows, watching in silence as the stars that streaked by them quickly slipped back to brilliant points of light as the angry planet began to loom large in front of them.

"We should be entering the planet's atmosphere in less than five minutes," Bail said, as Yoda turned and looked back at him. Bail took a long, deep breath and sighed deeply, as he turned his inquisitive, worried face toward the Jedi Master beside him. "Now can you tell me what we're doing here?"

"Locate Anakin's companion, we must," Yoda sighed, after taking a long, deep breath. "Imperative it is, that we find her," he said, as he turned and looked back out of the window in front of him.

Bail looked back at Yoda, shocked; the tiny Jedi Master hadn't shared much in the way of details on this trip. He had sat, meditating quietly, ever since they had made the jump into hyperspace after leaving Coruscant. "Anakin's companion?" Bail said, a mixture of disbelief and concern spreading across his face. "You mean Padmé?"

"Yes," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly, as he continued to look thoughtfully out of the window ahead of him.

"What in the devil is she doing here?" Bail asked, his voice betraying his deep concern as he spoke. "I thought she was on Naboo."

"She was," Yoda said quietly, as he turned his head slowly and looked back at Bail's puzzled, worried face, "But here now, she is," Yoda said, as he took another long, deep breath. "A long story, it is," Yoda sighed again. "But find her, we must."

"Why am I not surprised?" Bail sighed, as he turned and looked out of the window in front of him, watching the planet grow faster and faster in the _Falcon's _viewscreen as they approached it.

Bail didn't even try to mask the look of deep concern on his face as he turned and looked back at Yoda. "Mustafar's a big planet, Master Yoda," Bail said, reaching up and running his hand slowly through his thick, dark hair as he spoke. "Our sensors aren't going to tell us much, either, until we get closer to the planet's surface. Do we have any idea where to start looking for her?"

"Contacted her once before, you have," Yoda said, as he turned and looked intently back at Bail as he watched him from the pilot's seat. "Try again, I suggest you do."

Bail looked at Yoda for a long moment, and then he reached quickly down and retrieved the encryption key that Mace Windu had given him from his pocket. "There may not be anyone on her ship to receive the transmission, if she's out looking for him," Bail said, shaking his head as he popped the key into the slot of the _Falcon's _communication console in front of him and activated the transmitter. "We may be talking to no one."

Yoda watched as Bail tapped the display on the com station and engaged the transmitter. "We're hailing her now," Bail said with a nod, as he reached over and nudged the throttle levers forward again, pushing the _Falcon's _impulse engines to full power. "Hang on tight," he said, as he glanced back over toward Yoda again. "I'm starting our descent to the planet's surface."

Yoda squeezed the armrests on his chair tightly as, just as the _Millenium Falcon _trembled as they passed through the strongest layers of Mustafar's magnetic field, he felt himself begin to tremble, somewhat, as the wave of pain that traveled to him through the Force from both Anakin and Padmé suddenly shot through him. Yoda closed his eyes and sighed again, deeply; they were running out of time.

The sunlight glinted brightly off of the platinum silver hull of the _Falcon_ as she banked hard to her starboard side, and then disappeared quickly into the thick, angry atmosphere.

* * *

Threepio turned around quickly, as he heard Artoo's excited whistle echo through the _Destiny's_ cabin; he watched the little astrodroid as he swung his dome toward him and continued to beep and whistle excitedly from his place at the com station.

"What is it, Artoo?" Threepio asked anxiously, as he shuffled across the cabin to Artoo's side. "Have you picked up anything at all from Mistress Padmé?"

The tall, silver droid cocked his metal head curiously, as Artoo let fly with another long string of whistles and clicks as he swung his sensor dome back toward the console in front of him. "An incoming transmission?" Threepio asked, as he turned and looked at the display on the com station where Artoo sat. "From who?"

Artoo swung his dome slowly back toward Threepio, as another long string of electronic speech filled the cabin. "Oh, my," Threepio said, snapping himself up straight and turning his electronic eyes toward the viewscreen in front of him. "In that case," he said, as he turned and nodded back at his little companion, "I suppose you'd better go ahead and answer his hail, Artoo."

* * *

Darth Vader's hand trembled, as he reached up and applied the medication that he had retrieved from his belt to his wounded shoulder; he winced and grit his teeth hard, as the cold, aerosol spray contacted his skin, and then he relaxed a bit, as the anesthetic began to dull the sharp, searing pain.

He flung the empty container down to the stone floor in the dark corner where he had concealed himself. _This wasn't part of the plan, _he thought to himself, as he moved his arm back and forth, slowly, as the medication continued to dull the pain. He reached down, quickly, and pulled the comlink from his belt, and then leaned back against the stone wall behind him as he pressed the button on its side and tied it in to the transmitter on his ship.

Vader listened in silence, for a long moment, as he waited for the return signal; he rolled the comlink over in his gloved hand nervously as he stared at the small, cylindrical device. Patience wasn't one of his stronger virtues, even when he waited to speak with his master, as he did now.

"Finally," Vader snorted under his breath, as he heard the comlink's two, bell-like tones as the channel opened.

"_What is it, Lord Vader?"_ he heard Darth Sidious' voice ask from the tiny device in his hand, as he raised it up closer to his hooded face.

"The Separatist leaders are dead, my Lord," Vader said, his voice hushed somewhat, as he concealed himself in the shadows near the dark tunnel's exit. "Just as you commanded."

"_You have done well, Lord Vader_," Sidious replied, his voice small and distant over the comlink. "_And the Jedi?"_

"They are here, my Master," Vader replied, nodding his head as he spoke. "Just as you expected."

"_Are you certain that it's Kenobi and Skywalker?"_ Sidious asked, as Vader listened intently.

"Yes, Master," Vader replied, as he grimaced and moved his shoulder gingerly as he spoke. "I'm certain of it. I have already engaged them once." Vader paused, as he felt the twinge of pain run through his wounded shoulder again. "And she's here with them."

Vader looked down at the comlink, as it fell silent for a long moment. "_Are you sure?"_ he heard Darth Sidious ask, after a long pause.

"Yes, my Lord," Vader said, nodding his head again as he moved his shoulder gingerly. "Quite sure."

"_Excellent_," Sidious replied, his voice brightening. "_Our trap is working better than even I could have foreseen. Activate the droids,_" Sidious said. "_At once."_

'I have already done so, my Lord," Vader said, nodding his head. "They should be moving to intercept them now."

Vader smiled as he heard Sidious' approving reply over the comlink. "_Very good, Lord Vader_," he said. "_You are proving to be far more efficient than your predecessor._"

"Thank you, my Master," Vader said, as he listened intently to his master's voice.

"_Contact the three battalions of clone troopers at your command,"_ Sidious said, as Vader listened to him intently. "_Take no chances. None of them are to leave that planet alive, do you understand?"_

"Yes, my Lord," Vader said, nodding his head affirmatively as he listened to his dark Master's command. "I'll contact them now."

_"I want them destroyed, all of them,"_ Sidious said, his voice laced with a dark, sinister anger. "_Their ships, their droids, everything. Is that clear?"_

"Very clear, my Master," Vader said, a sinister smile spreading across his hooded face, as he turned his glowing eyes back down the hallway behind him, watching intently as he heard what he thought were footsteps in the distance. "I'll contact you when our work here is complete."

"_Very good, Lord Vader,_" Sidious said, as Vader turned and looked back at the comlink in his hand. _"The end of the Jedi is at hand. I shall await your transmission with anticipation."_

Vader heard the telltale tone as the channel went dead, and he tapped the tiny control pad on the comlink again, as he prepared to contact the clone ships that stood by, behind Mustafar's rocky moon on the far side of the planet, awaiting his command.

* * *

Artoo swung his sensor dome toward the _Destiny's _pilot's station, and he watched Threepio for a long moment, as his tall metal companion monitored the ship's radar system, watching as the _Millenium Falcon's _signal closed on them quickly.

Threepio was good at waiting; he, on the other hand, was more like his mistress. Artoo was adventurous, even by human standards, and he much preferred action to all of this waiting. He had grown used to the absence of the restraining bolt with which most droids were fitted, and he preferred to think of himself as more of a companion than a servant to Anakin and Padmé. Indeed, it was Padmé who had removed the humiliating device over a year ago, and Anakin had agreed with her.

"_We trust you, Artoo," _Padmé had said, as she had popped the bolt off as Anakin looked on, and Artoo had watched her as she tossed it into a drawer in the hangar. _"You've saved our lives more than once," _she had said, as she looked back at him approvingly and patted his smooth round dome affectionately. _"You've always been there when we needed you," _Padmé had said, as she and Anakin smiled down at him.

_We trust you, Artoo._

Somehow, over the years, in the incredible mass of electronic impulses and pathways that made up his electronic brain, Artoo had learned what it meant to be a part of a family. Most droids would have bolted for freedom the minute that restraining bolt had been removed; he, on the other hand, had chosen to stay, though he hadn't been quite sure as to why at first. Maybe it was the fact that the two of them had given him the one thing that no one else had ever offered him, since the day that he first looked up and saw a human for the first time at the droid factory where he had been built.

They had given him a choice. They had trusted him. And he had no intention of letting them down.

Artoo swung his sensor dome back to the station in front of him, as he suddenly picked up the faint transmission; he spun the control wheels at his station with his data probe, quickly as he attempted to lock on to the transmission's source. It was faint, very faint indeed; whoever it was, they were trying to make sure that no one heard them, and if it hadn't been for the sensor modifications that he and Anakin had made to the _Destiny's _sensor array, he would never have heard it.

Artoo turned up the gain on the _Destiny's _array to maximum, and he listened intently, as his electronic ears began to pick up bits and pieces of the faint voices as he ran the crackling, popping signal through the ship's noise filter:

…_of them are to leave the planet alive. Is… understood?_

_Understood, sir. We're getting underway now._

_Lock in my ship… be able to find them there. I want all of… destroyed. Even their ships._

_Yes, Lord Vad… should be there…. fifteen minutes._

_Destroy them all. No exceptions…. that clear?_

_Very clear, Lord Vader._

Artoo swung his dome back toward Threepio, whistling anxiously, as the terrible realization of what he had just heard struck him; they were coming for them, whoever they were, and they had less than fifteen minutes to figure out what to do about it.

"What is it now, Artoo?" Threepio asked, frustrated, as he turned and shuffled back toward his little companion as the little astrodroid whistled excitedly, as he engaged the ship's transmitter and began to signal the comlink that Padmé had carried with her into the dark, sinister complex.

* * *

The pain that coursed through his side was incredible; Anakin stopped, just inside the narrow tunnel's exit, and he leaned back against the hard, stone wall and took several long, deep breaths, as he squeezed his eyes shut, tightly.

He could hear the comlink beeping in the pocket of Padmé's cloak, and he cradled her tightly in his arms as he slowly allowed himself to slide down the wall toward the hard stone floor. He leaned close to the rocky outcropping beside him, concealing them both in its shadow; they were just inside the entrance to the chamber that lead to the structure's exit and to their ship. He was exhausted, and he needed to rest, if only for a moment.

"OOowww!" Anakin moaned, softly, as he felt his broken ribs move again, sending another wave of pain through his body as he relaxed the muscles of his chest for just a moment. He leaned back against the wall, as he pulled Padmé closer to him so that he could see her face.

"How ya doin', Angel?" Anakin asked softly, as he reached over and brushed Padmé's long, brown hair from her eyes gently, as she opened her eyes and looked up at him weakly.

Anakin leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead, as she moaned softly and blinked her eyes several times. "It hurts," Padmé moaned weakly, as she turned her tired, worried eyes back up and looked at Anakin's worried face. "I'm scared, Ani," she whispered, her voice trembling as she tried to speak. "I'm so scared…"

Anakin laid his head gently on hers, as he felt her arms tighten around his neck as she moaned again as another wave of pain swept through her body. "I know, Angel," Anakin said softly, as he reached down into the pocket of her cloak, searching for the comlink hidden in the thick, blue material. "So am I. I'll have you out of here in just a few minutes, I promise," he said, as he felt his hand close around the small device. "Just hang in here with me a little bit longer."

Anakin paused, and he smiled, as he heard her tired, weary voice as she squeezed his neck again, tightly. "I love you, Ani," she whispered softly, just as he felt that strong, wonderful tremor pass from her heart to his again. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you too, Angel," Anakin whispered, gazing at her fondly as he pulled the comlink from her pocket. "Everything's going to be fine," he said, as he pressed the button and opened the communications channel. "I promise."

Anakin winced as another wave of pain shot through his chest, and he turned his attention to the comlink in his hand as he heard Threepio's anxious voice suddenly echo through the tunnel around them.

_"Mistress Padmé?"_ Threepio called, his voice small and distant, as Anakin lifted the comlink up in front of him. "_Mistress Padmé, can you hear me? Oh, do please come in."_

"Threepio," Anakin said, as he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment. "It's me, Anakin," he said. "What's going on?"

_"Master Ani?"_ Threepio exclaimed, excitedly. "_Is Mistress Padmé with you? Are you both all right?"_

"Padmé's hurt, Threepio," Anakin said quietly, and he paused and held his breath for a moment, as another wave of pain surged through his chest. "She's hurt bad," he gasped, after a long pause, as the pain began to subside again. "I'm on my way out to the ship right now," he said. "Where are you?"

"_We're on the Destiny, __Master Ani,"_ Threepio said. "_Less than twenty meters from your ship."_

"Good," Anakin said, as he took another deep breath. "Stay there. I'll be there in five minutes."

Anakin opened his eyes, and his brow furrowed, deeply, as he heard Threepio's anxious voice respond to him. "_Master Ani,"_ he said, "_Artoo has just intercepted a transmission. It was somewhat cryptic, and a bit broken and sporadic, but thankfully, Artoo was able to run it through the ship's filters and…"_

"Threepio," Anakin interrupted, closing his eyes as he tried to push back another wave of pain that dogged him, "I know you're just trying to help, but could you get to the point?"

Anakin looked up and opened his eyes, as he heard Threepio's anxious response. "_There are three battalions of clone troopers en route to this location as we speak,_" he said, excitedly. "_Apparently, they've been alerted to our presence, and they'll be here in approximately thirteen minutes."_

Anakin looked down at the comlink in disbelief, as he listened intently to Threepio's small, tinny voice. "Apparently, this was all one big trap, designed to catch you and Master Kenobi," he said. "They've been given orders to destroy all of us."

_Of utmost importance it is, Anakin, that you protect Padmé, and your younglings, at all cost._

Yoda's words echoed through Anakin's mind, as he glanced down and looked at Padmé's face as he cradled her in his arms; her eyes were closed, and he could feel her quick, rapid breathing as she tried to cope with the pain that coursed through her body.

Nothing else mattered to him, now; the two of them had done all that they could. He could feel the Force speaking to him now, as clearly as he ever had. He had to get her out of here, to make sure that she, and their twins, were safe.

"Threepio," Anakin said, as he quickly turned his eyes back to the comlink in his hand. "Get the ship powered up," he said. "I'll be there in less than five minutes. Tell Artoo to be ready to take off when I get there."

"_But, Master Ani,"_ Threepio exclaimed excitedly, as Anakin listened to his voice intently, "_There's something else that I need to tell you_," he said. "_They're already…"_

Anakin dropped the comlink to the floor beside him, as he instinctively pulled Padmé close to him, covering as much of her body as he could with his own as the brilliant orange laser blast sent a shower of sparks and rock fragments spraying over them.

He leaned up, reaching over Padmé with his left hand; the brilliant, pure white blade of his weapon blazed forth instantly, as he swung it up and sent several incoming blasts back across the chamber toward the group of battle droids that began to flow into the chamber and open fire on them.

Anakin felt Padmé's arms tighten around his neck, and he leaned back against the wall, wrapping his free arm tightly around her as he pulled her as closely to him as he could as he watched the battle droids filter into the chamber just outside of the tunnel.

Anakin felt a sense of despair begin to sweep over him, as he glanced up quickly over the edge of the rocky structure where he and Padmé concealed themselves; there were at least twenty, maybe more, and every one of them were between him and the exit that he so desperately needed to get Padmé through.

Anakin ducked his head quickly just as the laser blast struck the edge of the rock in front of him. He closed his eyes tightly as another shower of stone fragments rained down over them, and he instinctively placed his arm over Padmé's face, shielding her as best he could from the hot, sharp fragments. He swung his blade up quickly, letting the Force guide him, as he looked back up and turned the next two blasts away, and he watched, with a sense of satisfaction, as the two blasts caught the droids who had fired them squarely in the chest, sending them clattering to the stone floor beneath them.

The moment of hope was short-lived, however, as he watched two more droids enter the chamber to take the place of the two that had fallen. He was cornered, and time was running out, quickly. He glanced back down at Padmé again, as she lay huddled close to his chest, her eyes still closed, and he could sense the pain that flowed through her as she lay in his arms, her breath still coming fast and shallow.

Anakin suddenly sensed a strong, familiar presence, just as he heard the sound of the blaster that echoed through the chamber; it caught his attention, standing out from the ones that continued to fire at him. It was different, louder, and more powerful. He looked up, just in time to hear the weapon fire again, and he watched with a growing sense of amazement as he saw the powerful blast strike the droid directly across from him, and send it flying to the floor in front of him.

Anakin felt that familiar glimmer of hope return, just as he saw Bail Organa and Yoda appear out of the dark tunnel directly across from him.

Bail leveled his high-powered blaster pistol at the droid in front of him, just as the bewildered droids began to turn toward them; he squeezed the trigger, and watched with a sense of deep satisfaction as the blast caught the droid directly between the eyes, sending its pointed, metal head flying through the chamber and clattering to the floor.

Yoda stretched out his small hand, and Bail watched as the droids closest to them were suddenly picked up and thrown across the chamber.

"Anakin!" Yoda shouted, as Bail leveled his weapon and took out two more of the droids that turned and began to fire on them as well. "A weapon, I need, and quickly!"

"What's happening, Ani?" Padmé asked weakly, and she jumped and squeezed his neck tightly as another blast from their attackers sent another spray of hot stone fragments flying over them.

"We're getting ready to get out of here," Anakin said, as he quickly powered down his saber and drew his arm back over his shoulder. "Right now."

"OOooowwwWWW!" Anakin shouted, as his broken ribs grated in his chest as he threw his saber as hard toward Yoda as he could; he held his breath for a moment, trying hard to push back the searing wave of pain, as he wrapped both of his arms tightly around Padmé and looked up over the edge of the rocks beside him.

Anakin caught sight of his saber, as its smoothly polished hilt flew through the air, end over end, and directly into Yoda's outstretched hand.

Yoda instantly wrapped both of his small hands tightly around the hilt of Anakin's weapon; its brilliant white blade blazed forth, and, in one smooth fluid motion, the Jedi Master leapt toward the center of the room, the weapon in his hand flashing brightly as he allowed the Force to flow through him.

Anakin watched, in sheer amazement, as the droids turned their attention from him and Padmé and began to fire wildly at the tiny Jedi Master, as he cartwheeled through their midst, Anakin's pure white, humming blade slicing cleanly through one droid, and then another, sending arms, legs, heads and weapons flying around the chamber in a blur of pure white light and orange sparks.

Yoda brought the blade of Anakin's saber around, neatly taking the head from one of the last droids near him, and, as its heavy metal body fell to the floor with a loud crash, he turned and looked back toward Bail as he heard the senator's weapon discharge again.

Yoda watched, through the haze of thick smoke that filled the chamber, as Bail's shot send the last droid flying backwards into the wall behind it; he glanced around the chamber, looking carefully at the mass of twisted, destroyed droids that littered the chamber floor. The chamber was silent now, except for an occasional spark and pop.

Yoda looked back up at Bail as he walked toward him, quickly extinguishing Anakin's weapon. "Hurry, we must," Yoda said, as he watched his friend quickly holster his weapon at his side as they started across the droid-strewn chamber to the place where Anakin and Padmé were. "Running out of time, we are."

Anakin looked up, just in time to see Bail and Yoda step around the rocky structure beside him. "It's good to see you, Master," Anakin groaned, his own breath growing more shallow from the pain that tore through his chest.

"Good to see you, it is as well, Anakin," Yoda said, deeply concerned, as he watched Bail kneel quickly in front of Anakin.

"How is she?" Bail asked, as he looked up at Anakin's painful face.

"She's hurt," Anakin said softly, as he glanced down at Padmé again, listening to her shallow, rapid breathing as she clung tightly to him. "We need to get her out of here, and fast."

Bail nodded his head, and then he looked up as Anakin groaned again. "You're hurt, too," Bail said, as he watched Anakin grit his teeth hard and hold his breath as the pain coursed through his chest again. "Where?"

"My chest," Anakin groaned, as he squeezed his eyes shut tight. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Anakin opened his eyes; he and Bail both glanced over at Yoda as he spoke again. "Get them out of here, we must," Yoda said, and Anakin glanced back down at his weapon as it flashed brightly in Yoda's tiny hand. "And quickly. Less than ten minutes, we have, until the clone ships arrive."

"Carry Padmé, you must," Yoda said, as he quickly tucked Anakin's weapon into his robes. "Help young Skywalker, I will," he said. "Get them aboard your ship, we must."

Bail nodded his head, and Anakin looked down as Bail leaned closer to him and slipped his arms around Padmé's shoulder and under her knees. "Don't worry, Anakin," Bail said, as he watched Anakin turn his worried face toward him. "I'll be careful. I promise."

Anakin gently brushed his hand through Padmé's long, brown hair as Bail lifted her up carefully into his arms. Anakin turned and looked up at Yoda, as he stepped up beside him and extended his small hand to him with a smile.

Anakin reached down and picked up the comlink that lay on the ground beside him, and then reached up and took Yoda's hand tightly. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, as his ribs grated against each other again as Yoda helped him up to his feet.

"Hurry," Yoda said, as he steadied Anakin as the young Jedi opened his pain filled eyes. He clutched his chest tightly as the two of them began to follow Bail toward the tunnel across from them.

"The senator's ship," Anakin groaned, as he looked down at Yoda as they walked as quickly as they could toward the exit. "Where is it?"

"Just outside," Yoda said, nodding his head. "Near your own."

"The droids," Anakin said, and Yoda watched him as Anakin pressed the button on the comlink and brought it up to his face. "We can't leave the droids behind."

Anakin looked back up, and he watched Bail step carefully over the last droid that lay in the floor in front of him, and then make his way into the dark tunnel toward the exit, Padmé's long, blue cloak swaying around his legs as he carried her. Anakin turned his attention back to the comlink, as it beeped loudly as he and Yoda stepped into the tunnel behind him.

"Threepio?" Anakin said, his voice raspy and broken from the pain that coursed through his body. "I want you to listen to me, very carefully."

Anakin's voice echoed through the long, dark tunnel, as, with Yoda steadying him as much as he could, the four of them made their way down the tunnel and back toward the entrance, where the _Millenium Falcon _waited for them.


	15. Duel of the Fates

_**Chapter 15: Duel Of The Fates**_

Vader was halfway across the narrow catwalk; he looked down, narrowing his eyes as the heat from the rolling, glowing hot lava flow below him whipped by his face, as he secured the comlink back in the belt at his waist.

He turned quickly, his long, black cloak billowing around him as his gloved hand held tightly to the narrow catwalk railing; he glanced back over his right shoulder, as the unmistakable hiss of the lightsaber that powered up behind him echoed off the stone walls around him.

Obi-Wan stepped quickly out of the narrow tunnel entrance and into the large, smoky cavern; the smell of sulfur filled his nostrils as he stared back at Vader in the dim light. The Sith Lord looked almost surreal, as he stood, his cloak flapping gently in the waves of heat that swept up past him. Vader's haunting, yellow eyes glowering back toward him as he lowered Anakin's humming, white blade to his side and stopped, just at the edge of the narrow catwalk.

"Leaving so soon?" Obi-Wan said, as he stared coldly back at Vader and took a step out onto the narrow, shaky catwalk, squeezing the hilt of Anakin's weapon tightly in his hand as he spoke. "I won't hear of it."

Obi-Wan felt a sense of deep satisfaction, as he saw the look of surprise that flashed quickly across Vader's face, as he spoke to him. "Why?" Vader asked, his glowing eyes staring back at Obi-Wan hatefully. "Are you in a hurry to die?"

"The only thing I'm in a hurry for is to see you and Palpatine pay for what you've done," Obi-Wan said, his own eyes flashing as he felt the wave of anger that he had felt when he had faced Grievous well up inside of him again.

"You can still walk out of here alive, Kenobi," Vader said, as he reached down and took his saber from his belt; Obi-Wan glanced down at Vader's gloved hand, watching him as he rolled the weapon over several times, slowly, the bright orange light of the lava below them glinting off the smoothly polished weapon.

"Or, you can choose to die," he said, as Obi-Wan looked back up at him. "Like your friends soon will. It's your choice."

"What are you talking about?" Obi-Wan snapped, taking another step toward Vader as the Sith Lord took a step backwards along the narrow catwalk.

"Your friend Skywalker, and his woman, are probably already dead, if the droids have found them," Vader said, his voice echoing through the smoky cavern. "If they aren't, they will be as soon as my clone troopers find them." Vader smiled at him, shaking his head. "Either way," he said, with a shrug of his shoulders, "they're not leaving this planet alive."

Obi-Wan felt that faint flame of anger begin to grow stronger deep within him, as he glared back at Vader's face, shaking his head. "You're lying," Obi-Wan said, taking another step toward Vader, raising Anakin's weapon and pointing it directly at him, as he felt that flame suddenly flare even stronger.

"Your _LYING!" _Obi-Wan shouted, staring angrily down the glowing white blade of the weapon he held in his hand as he looked directly at Vader's smirking, hooded face. "Just like that lying bastard you serve!"

"Believe what you want, Kenobi," Vader said, as he raised his gloved hand and pointed his finger directly at Obi-Wan. "Your friend Skywalker made a bad decision," he said. "You don't have to make the same mistake."

"My droids will be more than a match for him, especially with those injuries I gave him," Vader smirked, as he watched Obi-Wan shake his head slowly. "He'll be too concerned with her," Vader said. "His love for that useless woman has made him weak."

"Anakin is stronger than a killer like yourself could ever hope to be," Obi-Wan snapped back angrily, as he took another step toward Vader.

Vader snorted under his breath. "Love is the most worthless of human emotions," he said, shaking his head. "It's useless, just like he is. And it's already blinded you to the truth, Kenobi," Vader said, as he shook his gloved fist at him. "Skywalker is going to die, if he hasn't already, along with his woman, and there's nothing that you can do to stop it."

"But _you_ have a choice," Vader said, as he saw the anger welling up in Obi-Wan's face. "You can choose to die here, now, defending a Jedi Order that no longer exists," he said, "or you can choose to join me and my Master, and find a new place for yourself in the Empire."

"Empire?" Obi-Wan spat back angrily at Vader contemptuously. "Is that what your so-called master is calling the Republic now?"

"He can call it what he wants," Vader said, shaking his head. "Names don't matter to me. The important thing is, the Republic is dead, and you have a choice," Vader said, his yellow eyes glowing back at Obi-Wan.

"You can choose to join us," Vader said with a confident smirk; Obi-Wan watched as he powered up the crimson red blade in his hand and swung it up quickly in front of him.

"Or you can choose to die," he said, as he swung the blade in his gloved hand quickly at his side, and then brought it up in front of him. "Just like your friend. It's your choice."

"You're nothing but a worthless coward," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. "You're not even a shadow of Anakin Skywalker."

"How does it feel, Vader?" Obi-Wan asked, as he cocked his head and looked at the Sith Lord in front of him inquisitively, watching as the smug smile on his hooded face quickly disappeared. "How does it feel to know that you can never hope to be half the man you were created from?"

"Shut up," Vader snapped angrily, his eyes beginning to glow fiercely as he took another step back as Obi-Wan stepped toward him again.

You're just another pawn in Sidious' game, Vader," Obi-Wan said, as he shook his head and began to return the smug smile that had left Vader's face only a moment before. "If you truly _were_ cloned from Anakin, I should think you'd have been smart enough to figure that out by now."

"I supposed that's just more proof that you're nothing more than a failed experiment," Obi-Wan said, laughing under his breath as he took another step toward him.

"How long do you think it'll be before Sidious decides he's through with you, Vader?" Obi-Wan asked, as Vader glared back at him from underneath his thick, black hood. "He created you, he molded you, to take Dooku's place, when he had outlived his usefulness, didn't he?"

"You're just another expendable asset, nothing more," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head piteously. "Sidious will use you, just like he did Dooku, and when he's through with you, he'll toss you aside and replace you with someone else."

"Perhaps I should join you," Obi-Wan said, as he glared back at Vader's angry face. "After all, there can only be two," he said, as he spun his blade quickly at his side. "It'd just be a matter of time before I'd get the chance to kill you, anyway. And from what I've seen so far," Obi-Wan said, as he brought his blade up and pointed it directly between Vader's glowing, yellow eyes, "I don't really think it's going to be much of a challenge."

Obi-Wan had tried to push Vader to the breaking point; he knew, instinctively, that he had succeeded, as Vader suddenly screamed in anger and lunged at him, just as Obi-Wan brought Anakin's glowing white blade up, and the massive chasm filled with the sound of the two blades as they crashed against each other.

* * *

Anakin reached up with his right arm and placed it tightly around Threepio's shoulder as he took a last, painful step up the _Millenium Falcon's _entry ramp; he coughed, hard, as he took a long, deep breath of the clean, filtered air inside the ship. Threepio and Yoda both reached out and caught hold of him, as he cried out in pain, his knees buckling slightly as the force of his cough caused his broken ribs to grate painfully against one another again.

"Thanks, Threepio," Anakin groaned painfully, as he stood back up slowly and wrapped his left arm tightly around his chest, cradling his chest gingerly as the tall, silver droid placed his arm around his master's back and helped him into the ship.

Anakin looked down as Yoda walked quickly past him and Bail, making his way toward the forward part of the ship. Anakin glanced around the peculiar vessel for just a moment, and then turned his attention to Bail Organa, as he turned around, still holding Padmé tightly in his arms. "I'm going to go ahead and get her into the infirmary, Anakin," Bail panted, as Anakin nodded painfully at him; their race against time had found them almost sprinting back to the _Falcon _through the thick haze of dust and wind that whipped at the planet's surface.

"Yoda will need your help," Bail said, as Anakin turned and watched again as Yoda made his way quickly toward the _Falcon's _cockpit. "He can pilot the ship, but someone's going to need to man the main guns in case those transports get here before we can get out of here."

Anakin walked up to him, leaning heavily on Threepio's shoulder and turning his attention to his wife as Bail held her tightly in his arms. "Take care of her for me, okay, Bail?" Anakin asked softly, as he let go of his chest and gently caressed her cheek; Anakin could sense the pain that rippled through her body, and he leaned down gently and kissed her on the cheek. He could feel her rapid, shallow breathing on his face, as she opened her eyes and glanced up at him, weakly, and then closed her eyes again.

"You have my word, Anakin," Bail said quietly, and Anakin watched as the tall, dark-haired senator turned and started quickly toward the ship's crew quarters behind them.

"Don't worry, Master Ani," Threepio said, as reassuringly as he could, as Anakin turned his deeply worried face toward him. "I'm sure that Senator Organa will take good care of Mistress Padmé, you'll see."

Anakin forced a smile; a weak one, assuredly, but a smile nonetheless. "I know, Threepio," he said quietly, and then he patted Threepio's shoulder soundly. "Come on," Anakin grunted, painfully, just as Artoo rolled quickly up toward them. "Let's get up to the cockpit," he said, as he turned, with Threepio's help, and started toward the _Falcon's _bow. "We've got to get out here, fast. Those clone transports will be here any minute."

Artoo rolled closely behind them, as they made their way up to the cockpit as quickly as they could, just as they heard the _Millenium Falcon's _engines begin to whine as Yoda started to power them up.

* * *

Obi-Wan felt another surge of power flow through him, as he reached down into the living Force, as deeply as he ever had, catching Vader's blade and pushing it away from him angrily. He could feel the narrow, metal catwalk shaking under his boots; the waves of heat that swept up past them swirled around him, as he swung Anakin's blade up quickly, catching Darth Vader's angry blow and turning it down, toward the catwalk's railing.

The brilliant gold array of sparks cascaded around them, in the hellish red glow that reflected off of the chasm's walls, as Obi-Wan swung the brilliant white blade in his hands back up quickly, and directly into Vader's right shoulder.

Vader howled in pain and stumbled backwards, as the super hot blade bit into his shoulder and sliced through his cloak and tunic. The stench of burning material filled his nostrils as he leapt back away from his opponent and reached up and grasped his shoulder tightly with his gloved hand.

"That's for Master Windu," Obi-Wan growled, as he watched the Sith Lord snap his angry, glowing eyes around toward him as he clutched his shoulder tightly.

"You should have listened to me, Kenobi," Vader said angrily, rubbing his wounded shoulder gingerly as he watched Obi-Wan bring his blade back up and take another step toward him. He reached deeply into the dark side of the Force, pushing back the wave of pain that coursed through his shoulder as he took another step back along the narrow, trembling catwalk.

Vader leaned back on his right leg, steadying himself, as Obi-Wan lunged at him again; his crimson blade crackled and hissed, violently, as Obi-Wan lashed out at him again, swinging his blade first left, then right, then left again, driving him steadily back toward the narrow opening in the chamber wall behind them.

Vader was struggling; Obi-Wan's attack was fierce and relentless, and the pain that coursed though his wounded shoulder was slowing his response; the angry burn from Padmé's weapon, and the fresh wound that Obi-Wan had just given him were taking their toll. He needed to get out of here, but he was cornered, with an angry Jedi Knight in front of him, and nothing but a narrow opening in the stone wall behind him.

Vader glanced down, just as he turned Obi-Wan's blade aside again, sending another spray of sparks between them as the white blade in Obi-Wan's hand sliced cleanly through the railing. The catwalk beneath them groaned and shuddered violently as the structure shifted, and he could see the glowing, orange lava flowing quickly below them, bubbling and spitting high into the hazy, smoke-filled air, as the narrow catwalk trembled and moaned as they fought furiously, with less than an inch of old, rusted steel framework separating them from the hellish inferno below.

* * *

Anakin leaned on Threepio's shoulder as he stopped just behind the pilot's station and looked down at Yoda as he sat in the _Falcon's _pilot's seat. He watched, as the Jedi Master brought the ship's engines up to full power.

Yoda turned around and looked up at Anakin, as the young Jedi looked out of the ship's cockpit window, toward the stone facility a few hundred meters from them. He could sense what Anakin was thinking and feeling, and he took a deep breath as he looked back down and slowly pulled Anakin's saber from his robes.

"We can't leave him behind, Master," Anakin said, as he looked down and took his weapon from Yoda's small hand as the Jedi Master turned in the pilot's seat and extended it toward him.

Anakin watched, as Yoda looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, and then turned his eyes back toward the cockpit as he reached over and pushed the _Falcon's _throttle levers forward. "Understand, and share, your concern, I do, Anakin," Yoda said quietly, as huge clouds of dust began to swirl violently around the sleek, silver ship she began to lift slowly into the air.

"Less than five minutes, we have, to get clear before Vader's clone transports arrive," Yoda said, as he turned the control yoke slowly in his small hands, turning the ship slowly as the landing thrusters lifted them higher and higher into the air.

"Locked in beacon mode, our tracking devices are," Yoda said, shaking his head slowly as he looked back up at Anakin, watching as the young Jedi Knight tucked his saber back into its holster at his side. "No way, have we, to locate him," Yoda said, "and insufficient time, there is, to search for him."

"That's not entirely true, Master Yoda," Anakin said, as he took a deep breath, and lifted his arm quickly from around Threepio's shoulders. "Take the copilot's station, Threepio," Anakin grunted painfully, as Threepio looked up at him, somewhat bewildered.

"Me, Master Ani?" Threepio asked, as Anakin took a step back and nudged him toward the copilot's seat. "But I'm not quite sure that I…"

"Hurry, Threepio," Anakin said, nodding his head and pushing Threepio toward the empty chair beside Yoda. Yoda watched, somewhat puzzled himself, as Threepio obediently took a seat in the copilot's station, as Anakin stepped between them and knelt down, painfully, and started to bring up the _Falcon's _sensor array.

Yoda watched, inquisitively, as Anakin's fingers flew quickly over the control pad on the ship's console. "Master Obi-Wan's got my other saber," Anakin said, keeping his eyes on the console as he worked as quickly as he could. "We should be able to find him."

"Low power beacons, the ones in our sabers are," Yoda said, shaking his head as Anakin turned and looked back at him. "Doubtful it is, that we would be able to locate him, with so much interference."

"I modified the transmitters in mine when I built them, Master," Anakin said, as he switched on the tracking system and studied the display intently as the needle began to sweep quickly around the display. "They're stronger, and they use a higher frequency," he said. "We should be able to locate him."

"There," Anakin said, pointing at the display as the bright yellow dot began to flash, intermittently, on the display in front of them. "That's him," he said, looking back at Yoda intently as the Jedi master studied the tracking display intently for a moment.

"We can't leave him behind, Master Yoda," Anakin said quietly, shaking his head slowly as Yoda turned his eyes toward him and looked at him thoughtfully. "We've got to get him out of here."

"Given orders to destroy us, Vader's clones have been," Yoda said, shaking his head slowly as he started to turn the _Millenium Falcon _toward the signal that flashed on the display in front of them. "Just minutes, we have. Difficult it will be, to find Obi-Wan and get ourselves clear in time, before they intercept us."

"Keep the ship low, as low as you possibly can," Anakin said. "The planet's got a strong magnetic field. If we stay tight and low, it may give us enough cover to buy us a few minutes before they lock onto us."

Yoda nodded his head slowly, dropping the _Falcon _dangerously close to the rocky surface as they began to skim quickly toward the direction of Obi-Wan's signal. Anakin looked out of the cockpit window thoughtfully for a long moment; he grimaced and clutched his chest tightly, and then took a long, deep breath.

"Sidious will never stop hunting for us, will he?" Anakin asked quietly, as Yoda glanced back at him.

"That's what this trap was for," Anakin said, as he and Yoda exchanged a painful glance for a long moment. "It just dawned on me," Anakin said, as Yoda turned his eyes slowly back toward the cockpit window in front of him. "Sidious will never stop hunting for us, all of us, until he's sure we're all dead."

"No, he will not," Yoda said somberly, shaking his head slowly. "Obsessed with destroying us, Sidious is, and almost succeeded he has," he said, as he nosed the ship up and skimmed over the edge of the entrance to the large structure they had escaped from only a few moments before.

"All that is left of the Order, we are," Yoda said, shaking his head sadly. "If his troopers fail to intercept us here," Yoda said, his tone growing more somber as Anakin and Threepio listened intently as he spoke, "then likely it is, that the entire Clone Army, he and his apprentice will use, to find us."

Anakin nodded his head thoughtfully for another moment; he glanced back over his shoulder, toward the crew quarters in the back of the ship, as his thoughts shifted back to Padmé, and to their family that waited at home. He tried to quiet his mind, as best he could, through his concern for her and the pain that coursed through his chest, as he tried to understand what it was he sensed that the Force was trying to tell him.

He remembered the day that he had gone to tell Chancellor Palpatine goodbye, and he felt a different kind of pain and fear run through his heart, as he realized that he had, inadvertently, given the Dark Lord of the Sith the one piece of information that he truly wished he didn't have; Anakin knew, instinctively, that as long as Sidious thought that they were alive, that Padmé, and their children, would always be in danger. Vader had seen her; for all he knew, Sidious' evil apprentice could have already contacted his master and relayed to him what he had seen. If he had, Sidious would know that she was pregnant; Anakin was beginning to understand, finally, what it was that Yoda had tried to tell him, that evening in Obi-Wan's residence.

Anakin glanced quickly back toward Yoda, as he suddenly realized what it was that he had to do. "Then Artoo and I will just have to help those troopers make sure they carry out their mission," Anakin groaned painfully, as he started to stand up as quickly as he could.

Yoda glanced up at Anakin again, as the young Jedi Knight stood up, painfully. "Keep an eye on Obi-Wan's signal, Threepio," Anakin said, as he stood up as straight as he could and turned toward the little astrodroid that stood next to him. "And help Master Yoda keep an eye on those incoming clone transports."

"Yes, Master Ani," Threepio said, turning his attention to the display in front of him.

"Artoo, you come with me," Anakin said, and Yoda and Threepio exchanged puzzled glances as Anakin started back down the narrow juncture toward the central cabin. "We've got a job to do."

* * *

Commander Bartellow turned around quickly, as the trooper at the communications station behind him called to him. "Sir?" the trooper called, looking up at Bartellow as he walked quickly to his side. "I think we've got something."

"What is it?" Bartellow asked, the dim, red lighting in the transport's crew cabin reflecting off of the smooth face of his helmet as he looked down at the display where the trooper sat.

"Three ships, sir," the trooper said, pointing at the three indicators on the display in front of him. "Two of our transports, and one of them is Lord Vader's ship," he said, as he looked up at his commanding officer again.

"The other ship appears to be a small civilian cruiser of some kind," he said, as the commander watched the display intently. "It's moving. It's just powered up its engines and is moving away from the other two ships at a fairly high rate of speed."

"We're receiving a transmission from that ship, as well, sir," the trooper said, as he lifted his hand to the side of his helmet as the transmission began to filter through the earpiece in his helmet.

"On speakers," Bartellow said, and he listened intently as the trooper reached down and quickly transferred the incoming transmission to the cabin's speaker system; the cracks and pops of the planet's atmosphere began to fill the cabin as the intermittent, broken transmission began to fill Bartellow's ears.

…_leaving the planet now. Master Yoda says to inform you… we should be back… Coruscant in several hours. We'll meet you… the Temple. Have medical… standing by. Skywalker out._

"It's them," Bartellow said, turning his head quickly back to the trooper in front of him. "Contact the other ships," the commander said. "Have them converge on that ship and destroy it immediately. I don't want it to even make orbit, is that understood?"

"Understood clearly, sir," the trooper said, and Bartellow watched as he quickly contacted the other transports, as their own ship began to turn toward the small cruiser's signal.

* * *

Bail felt Padmé squeeze his hand tightly as she cried out again; he looked up at the monitor over the medical bunk where he had placed her, deeply concerned, as he watched her heart rate continue to climb.

"Oooohhhh," Padmé moaned, turning her head toward Bail as he placed his free hand gently on her forehead as she opened her eyes and looked at him, weakly. "It hurts, Bail," Padmé said, as she suddenly placed her hands on her stomach and grit her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut as another wave of pain traveled through her back and across her stomach.

Bail looked up at the monitor again, watching as the sensors spiked again; he placed his hand on Padmé's, squeezing it gently until the pain began to subside again, and then stood up and walked quickly to the supply cabinet near the medical bunk.

"I know it does, Padmé," Bail said, as he quickly took a small bottle and a syringe from the cabinet, and then closed it quickly. He turned around, slipping the small needle into the bottle, and then took a seat quickly at Padmé's side again, as he carefully filled the small syringe with the clear liquid.

"What's happening, Bail?" Padmé asked weakly, her breath coming fast and ragged as she watched her long time friend and Senate companion carefully measure the medication in the syringe, and then place the small bottle on the tray beside the bunk.

"You're having contractions, Padmé," Bail said, as he gently thumped the syringe in his hand. "They're not very far apart now, either," he said, as he looked back and watched as Padmé closed her eyes and shook her head, slowly.

"No," Padmé said, and Bail felt his heart ache as he saw the frightened look in her tear-filled eyes as she opened them again. "It's not time, Bail," Padmé whispered quietly.

"It's not time," Padmé said again, closing her eyes tightly, and Bail laid the syringe on the bunk in front of him as he placed his hand gently on hers again, as he saw the tear that trickled slowly down her cheek.

"It looks like they think it is, Padmé," Bail said, as he gently wiped away the tear from her cheek and smiled at her, reassuringly. "Breha tells me that sometimes these things don't always go as planned."

"Just try to relax a little," Bail said, as he reached down and picked up the syringe again and gently placed Padmé's arm on the bed in front of him. "I'm going to give you something that should help make the pain a little more bearable," he said, as he quickly ripped open the small packet he had retrieved from the cabinet.

Padmé watched him, as he gently swabbed the crook of her arm with the sterile pad, and then she closed her eyes as she saw him pick up the small syringe. "I hate needles," she whispered, her voice trembling, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the sharp sting as Bail carefully injected the pain medication into her arm.

"Me too," Bail said, looking up at Padmé with a grin, as he turned and tossed the syringe into the storage compartment beside the bunk. Bail's smile faded quickly, however, as Padmé suddenly closed her eyes again and cried out, loudly.

"Ooooohhhh, Bail," Padmé cried, holding her stomach tightly and lifting her knees up off of the bed slightly as the painful contraction struck her. "Please," she cried, as Bail looked up and saw the sensors on the monitor spike again. Her contractions were growing stronger, and they were only a few minutes apart now; these babies were coming, and coming soon.

"Please go get Anakin," she said, as she opened her pain filled eyes and looked back at him. "Something's happening."

* * *

Darth Vader's breathing was coming fast and heavy now, as he swung his blade hard to his left, barely catching the brilliant white blade in Obi-Wan's hands and turning it aside. He stumbled backwards a few steps, losing his balance, as he felt the ground begin to slope downward behind him, as Obi-Wan forced him off the catwalk and through the small, narrow opening in the jagged stone wall.

Vader glanced back behind him, just in time to see his boots stop just inches from the sharp drop-off directly behind him; time seemed to stop, as he saw the stones that his boot had dislodged disappear into the thick haze of smoke and heat that lead to the glowing, red pit far below them.

Obi-Wan stopped, for a brief instant; he saw the look of fear that suddenly flashed across Vader's face, as he watched him glance down at the sheer drop behind him.

"What's wrong, Vader?" Obi-Wan said, his own breath coming fast and hard as he held Anakin's glowing white blade up directly in front of him, watching as Vader's yellow eyes glared back at him. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"From the look on your face," Obi-Wan said, glaring back at the angry Sith in front of him, "I'd say it was your own."

Obi-Wan watched Vader intently, as the Sith Lord took a step toward him, squeezing the hilt of the glowing red saber in his gloved hands tightly. They stood completely still for a long moment, their two blades humming loudly, as the sulfur-laden smoke and heat from the superheated pit below them stung their eyes.

As angry as he was, Obi-Wan felt the guidance of the living Force tugging at him, as Vader glared back at him.

He was a vessel of pure evil, having been created for no other purpose except to bring pain and death; yet, Obi-Wan knew, deep inside himself, below the anger and rage at what Vader and his dark master had done, that he was still a living being. Life, in all of its forms, was precious to a Jedi; he remembered how he had felt, after he had lashed out so violently toward General Grievous. He lowered the tip of his blade, only slightly, as he watched Vader eye him angrily.

"You're out of options, Vader," Obi-Wan said, as the Sith glared back at the blade that hummed loudly in Obi-Wan's hands. "This is your last chance. Throw your weapon into that pit, behind you, and call off your troops," Obi-Wan said, nodding toward the sheer drop directly behind Vader, "and you can still walk out of here."

"You still don't get it, do you, Kenobi?" Vader shouted, over the rumble that rose from the pit behind him. "Your friends are dead, just like you'll be in a few minutes."

Obi-Wan felt the tremor travel to him through the Force, just as he sensed the weapon discharge directly behind him; he spun around quickly, bringing his blade around smoothly, catching the laser blast and sending it flying directly back toward the catwalk, striking the trooper that fired at him squarely in the chest.

He watched the other three pause, for an instant, as their companion screamed in pain and tumbled over the narrow catwalk railing, plummeting down into the thick smoke and toward the lava flow far beneath them.

Obi-Wan spun quickly, catching Vader's angry red blade and turning it aside; he brought his own up hard again, catching Vader's as he swung it back up and around at him, and he pushed with all of his might, his weapon crackling and hissing violently as Darth Vader leaned in close toward him, his yellow eyes glowing fiercely at him in the dim, red light.

"The problem with you, Kenobi," Vader hissed, an angry grimace spreading across his face, "is that you care too damn much."

"I wish I'd been there to see them kill your friends," Vader growled, as he pushed his blade harder, bringing it only inches from Obi-Wan's face as he struggled to keep the Sith Lord's blade at bay.

Obi-Wan looked directly into Vader's hate-filled, yellow eyes as he continued to speak to him. "Especially the girl," Vader continued, laughing under his breath. "I told them to be sure to have some fun with her before they killed her," he said. "I'm sure that Anakin enjoyed watching that."

Obi-Wan felt that flicker of anger deep inside him flare brilliantly, just as he heard the trooper's weapon discharge behind him. With one smooth, fluid motion, he dropped to his knees and spun quickly, pushing Vader's blade away from him as hard as he could.

The Sith stumble sideways away from him, and Obi-Wan watched as the blast from the trooper's rifle struck Vader in the arm, spinning him around hard and sending him staggering toward the precipice behind him.

Obi-Wan leapt to his feet, just as the three troopers on the catwalk began to fire at them; with amazing speed, he turned the blasts back toward his attackers, and he watched as the blasts hit squarely home, sending two of them over the railing to the lava flow below, and the third crashing limply to the catwalk's narrow metal walkway.

Vader caught himself, spinning around just in time to bring his blade up and catch Obi-Wan's hard, angry blow; he staggered backwards, as the incredible force of Obi-Wan's blow very nearly knocked him off of his feet, as Obi-Wan cried out angrily.

"This is for Master Windu!" Obi-Wan shouted, swinging his blade back to his left and very nearly knocking the saber out of Vader's gloved hand as he saw the look of fear return to Vader's frantic face.

"This is for Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted again, as he brought his blade back to his right as hard as he could, catching Vader off-balance and sending him staggering to his left again.

Vader struggled to catch himself, as he felt his weight begin to shift backwards toward the sloping drop behind him; he looked up, just in time to see Obi-Wan lift the brilliant white blade in his hand high over his head.

"And this is for _ME!_" Obi-Wan shouted again, bringing the glowing white blade of Anakin's weapon down as hard as he could directly at Vader's outstretched arm.

Darth Vader screamed in pain, as he felt the searing heat of the blade in Obi-Wan's hand pass through his arm; he looked down and watched in stunned horror and disbelief, as he saw his right forearm drop to the hard, stone floor in front of him, his crimson red blade still humming loudly as his gloved fist held tightly to it. He staggered back, feeling his boot slip over the edge as he fell backwards, as the wave of terrible pain coursed through his body.

Obi-Wan watched, as Vader's terrible scream of anger filled the cavern as he slipped over the edge of the rocky precipice, the gloved hand of his left arm grasping wildly for the edge as he fell. He took a step forward, the blade of Anakin's weapon still glowing brightly in his hand, as he looked down toward the place where Vader had fallen.

He took a long, deep breath, as he saw Vader's yellow eyes glaring up at him, as he clung desperately to the narrow ledge with his left arm; he narrowed his eyes and stepped back, lifting his arm up to his face, shielding himself from the wave of searing heat that belched up at him from the depths directly below Vader's dangling, struggling body.

"You think you've beaten me, don't you?" Vader gasped, as he glared up at Obi-Wan angrily. "Go ahead," Vader shouted, angrily. "Go ahead and finish me, if you've got enough backbone to actually do it!"

"What are you waiting for?" Vader screamed furiously, as Obi-Wan stared down at him in silence. "Finish me!"

Obi-Wan could see the pure, unbridled rage that flashed from Vader's eyes as he glared up at him furiously. "You don't even have enough nerve to finish the job you've started," Vader shouted angrily. "Master Sidious was right. You're all weak!"

"You haven't seen the last of me, Kenobi," Vader screamed, as Obi-Wan continued to stare silently down at him. "I swear I'll kill you, if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"To hell with you, Kenobi!" Vader shouted furiously; he felt his fingers beginning to give way on the narrow ledge, as he glanced down toward the thick, angry red smoke below him. "To hell with you all!"

Vader looked back up, as he felt his fingers lose their purchase on the rocky ledge where he clung, just in time to hear Obi-Wan's voice as the Jedi Knight glared down at him.

"You first," Obi-Wan shouted back at him; he watched and listened, Anakin's weapon glowing brightly at his side, Vader's angry, furious scream filling the chamber as Darth Sidious' evil apprentice fell toward the pit below him and disappeared into the thick, swirling red smoke.

* * *

Anakin held his chest tightly, as he walked painfully over and looked down at the display at the station where Artoo sat, his data probe spinning the small, silver control wheels quickly. "Well, Artoo?" he groaned, painfully, as he watched the _Destiny's _indicator flash brightly on the display in front of his little, round companion. "Did they take the bait?"

Anakin looked down at the display, as the translation appeared a moment after Artoo's long string of beeps and whistles faded. "Good," he said, nodding his head. "You always did say that remote piloting system was going to come in handy someday. Looks like you were right."

Anakin looked down at Artoo again, as the little droid swung his sensor dome back toward him as another long string of whistles and clicks ensued.

"I know, Artoo," Anakin sighed, as he reached down and patted the little droid's dome reassuringly. "I hate to lose her too," he said, nodding his head, "but better her than us."

"Keep her on a track away from us, as far as you can, until they start to intercept her," Anakin said, as Artoo turned his attention back to the controls in front of him. "As soon as they close on her, turn her around and take her up at full speed. We want it to look as convincing as possible."

Artoo whistled affirmatively, as Anakin took another long deep breath and watched the indicator move quickly away from them on the display in front of his little companion.

Padmé had named her well; Anakin watched, sadly, as the _Destiny, _the ship that had served him and his beloved wife so well for so long, headed toward her own. "She was a good ship, Artoo," Anakin said quietly, patting Artoo's dome again as the little droid took her higher and higher into Mustafar's thick, angry skies. "With a little luck," he said with a sigh, "she just might save our lives one more time."

"You know what to do, Artoo," Anakin said somberly. "As soon as they open fire on her…"

Anakin paused for a moment, taking a long, deep breath as he watched the _Destiny's _indicator move slowly across the display in front of Artoo. "As soon as they open fire on her," he said, "engage the self destruct sequence. No timed countdown."

Anakin turned around quickly, just as he heard Bail enter the cabin behind him. He felt a wave of anxious emotions sweep over him, as he saw the deeply worried countenance on Bail's face.

"Anakin," Bail said quietly, but urgently. "It's Padmé," he said, as Anakin took a halting step toward him. "You need to get in here, now."

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked, his voice trembling as Bail placed his hand on Anakin's arm and squeezed it tightly. "How bad is she hurt?"

"She's got some internal injuries," Bail said quietly; he could feel Anakin's body begin to tremble as he gazed weakly up at him. "They're not life threatening yet, but they could be, if she's not treated soon. We're going to need to get her to a medical facility as soon as possible."

"But that's not the big problem right now," Bail said quietly, as he saw the look of fear that shot through Anakin's eyes. "She's in labor, very advanced labor. The babies are coming," Bail said, shaking his head slowly, "and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Artoo swung his dome toward Anakin; he whistled, low and worriedly, as he watched Anakin and Bail walk quickly through the door to the crew cabin. He sat there silently, for a long moment, and then swung his sensors back and watched, as the three indicators for the clone ships on his display moved closer and closer to the _Destiny._

* * *

Obi-Wan reached down, slowly, and pressed the igniter on the saber that lay humming on the ground in front of him; he watched as the blade quickly disappeared with a loud hiss into the shining metal hilt, and then he grabbed it by the end closest to the emitter.

He grimaced, as he shook the weapon hard, watching as Vader's black-gloved hand fell back to the stone floor with a thump, its fingers still curled tightly as if they were still holding their master's weapon. He stood up slowly, staring at the haunting image on the ground in front of him for a long time, as he took a long, deep breath.

He glanced back down over the precipice, toward the glowing, red abyss into which Vader had fallen; the chamber was silent now, except for the low rumble that echoed off of the hard, stone walls as the super hot magma below them bubbled and flared violently. Yet, as he closed his eyes, he could still hear Vader's angry, furious scream echoing in his mind, as he watched him fall, over and over again, his angry yellow eyes burning at him as he disappeared into the depths below him.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and reached out with his boot, turning his attention back to the macabre image on the stone floor in front of him; he caught Vader's gnarled, gloved hand with the toe of his boot and, with a swift kick, he watched as it disappeared over the edge of the jagged, rocky ledge and into the swirling, angry clouds of red smoke, just as Vader had only moments before.

Obi-Wan tucked Vader's weapon into his belt and, looking over the edge toward the swirling, orange smoke below, he quickly extinguished Anakin's weapon, and then started back toward the narrow catwalk behind him, as he turned his thoughts back toward Anakin and Padmé.

_He's gone, if he did as he was told, _Obi-Wan thought to himself, as he took hold of the narrow catwalk handrail and stepped out onto the trembling shaky structure; he had given Anakin fifteen minutes to wait on him, and he knew, full well, that those fifteen minutes were up. He could only hope that Vader had been wrong, and that Anakin was getting Padmé to the medical attention that she so desperately needed.

Obi-Wan felt his heart stop, as the catwalk suddenly shuddered violently and began to twist hard to the left; he leapt backwards, more thanks to instinct than anything else, landing with a sharp pain on the hard stone behind him.

He raised up on his elbows and looked out, watching with a growing sense of despair, as the narrow catwalk railing broke loose from its anchors on the far side of the chasm, and then, twisting and groaning loudly, it fell down and into the angry depths below him, taking the unfortunate trooper that lay on it with it as it disappeared into the angry, swirling smoke that rose up and into the cavern.

"Marvelous," Obi-Wan sighed, as he sat up slowly, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. "Now how do I get out of here?"

Obi-Wan glanced up and around the rocky chasm, as he stood up slowly and tucked Anakin's weapon securely into his tunic. He narrowed his eyes, as he watched the smoke that swirled up from the chasm in front of him, as he carefully studied the rocky structure around him.

He looked up; there, about twenty-five meters above him, at the top of the chamber's sharply sloping rock wall, he could see the angry clouds of Mustafar's sky whipping by, as the winds that tore across the planet's surface sucked the smoke that rose up from the magma flow below him out of what appeared to be, for all intensive purposes, a natural chimney.

"Not an easy climb," Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked at the rocky path that led to the vent above him; he glanced back down, looking at the angry smoke that swirled below. His only consolation, he thought to himself as he sighed deeply and inched his way along the wall, toward the nearest structure that would afford him a good handhold as he climbed, was that if he fell, it would all be over in a matter of seconds.

Obi-Wan reached up, taking hold of the small crevice that ran along the wall and, taking a deep breath, he hoisted himself up and began to climb, as steadily as he could, up the sloping rock face, toward the glimmer of hope that waited above him.

* * *

"Status report, sergeant?" Captain Bartellow snapped, turning his attention back to the trooper that manned the communication station beside him.

"We're closing on them, sir," the sergeant replied, turning his helmeted face back toward his commanding officer. "We think they've just spotted us," he said, as Bartellow looked down at the display in front of him. "They've just increased their speed dramatically and they're climbing fast. It appears that they're trying to make a run for it."

"Lock all weapons on that cruiser," Bartellow said, as he turned his attention to the gunner who manned the weapons station next to him. "Advise all gunships to open fire on them, immediately."

"Yes, sir," the gunner said, as he activated his weapons and began to lock them on the sleek, silver craft, as it tracked quickly toward Mustafar's angry atmosphere.

* * *

Artoo watched the sensor display in front of him, as the three Clone gunships closed quickly on the _Destiny; _he spun the control wheels in front of him quickly, and watched as the sleek, Naboo cruiser turned and bolted for the sky above it in response to his commands.

Artoo almost wished he _had _been fitted with a restraining bolt, as he quickly transmitted the destruct code from his internal memory to the _Destiny's _main computer. Maybe, he thought to himself, just maybe, it would have made what he was about to do just a bit easier, as he saw the _Destiny's _sensor array register the strong laser blast that struck her starboard side.

It had long been a subject of debate, ever since droids had first been created, as to whether or not they possessed the ability for real emotions of any kind; their responses were learned, many scholars and scientists had argued, simple, logical responses to the stimuli around them, nothing more. Droids could _simulate _an emotion, they argued, but they couldn't really feel them.

That debate would have been answered, once and for all, if those same people could have sensed what could only have been described as remorse flowing through the little astrodroid, as he spun the control wheels in front of him once again, and watched, with a low, forlorn whistle, as the _Destiny's _indicator flashed several times, and then disappeared from the display in front of him.

Artoo sat silently, for a long moment, and then, withdrawing his data probe and storing it quickly inside his smooth, round body, he spun quickly on his wheels and started toward the crew cabin, where he had watched Anakin and Bail disappear only a few moments before.

* * *

The clone trooper ran quickly into the control room that overlooked the droid assembly operation, deep inside the massive stone structure, as the small group of troopers that stood near the center of the room turned and watched him as he approached them. "Commander Ardenza," the trooper panted, as he looked at the unit's commander and lowered his weapon to his side. "We think we may have found something."

"Have you heard from Lord Vader?" Ardenza asked, turning his attention toward the trooper who addressed him.

"No sir," the trooper replied, shaking his helmeted head slowly. "Not directly, at least. One of the droid detachments that was patrolling the lower smelting areas just reported that they found something."

"What is it?" Ardenza asked impatiently, looking at the trooper as he paused for a moment and glanced at the troopers near him.

"They're not sure," the trooper replied. "They said they picked up Lord Vader's comlink signal for a moment, but then it disappeared. They were searching the area where they last detected his comlink, and they found what they think may be Lord Vader."

"What they _think _may be Lord Vader?" Ardenza asked, cocking his helmeted head and looking at the trooper who addressed him. "What do you mean they _think _it's Lord Vader?"

"They can't positively identify him, Commander," the trooper stammered. "He's burned, badly. They're taking him to the infirmary now."

"Is he alive?" Ardenza asked, motioning to the troopers behind him to follow as he started to walk quickly toward the exit that lead to the facility's infirmary level.

"Barely, sir," the trooper replied, as he followed his commander through the narrow exit. "They don't expect him to survive," he said, as he followed along with his detachment as they made their way quickly through the factory toward the infirmary below.

* * *

"The signal is getting stronger, Master Yoda," Threepio said, looking up from the display in front of him and glancing at the Jedi master as he piloted the _Millenium Falcon _quickly toward the signal from Anakin's weapon. "I have a solid signal lock on his location," Threepio said, turning his attention back to the display in front of him as Yoda glanced over at him.

"Mark 243 degrees," Threepio said, looking back up at Yoda and gesturing toward the ridge directly in front of him. "Less than three point four seven kilometers, just beyond that ridge."

"Very good," Yoda said, nodding his head as he pulled back on the controls and began to nose the ship up as they approached the ridge quickly. "Initiate the emergency landing procedure," Yoda said, as Threepio reached over and began to ready the landing gear. "And tell Senator Organa to stand by the boarding ramp," Yoda said, as the _Falcon _began to nose up toward the ridge that lay before them. "His help, we may need."

"Yes, Master Yoda," Threepio replied obediently, as he reached down and activated the ship's intercom as Yoda brought the _Falcon _up and over the top of the ridge, closing faster and faster on Obi-Wan's signal.

* * *

Padmé felt Anakin's arms tighten around her chest, and she clung to them as tightly as she could with her own trembling hands, as she cried out again as the painful contraction coursed through her tired, weary body.

"Don't leave me, Ani," Padmé gasped, squeezing his arms as tightly as she could as she heard the bell-like tone from the ship's intercom near the door. She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek tightly against Anakin's, leaning back against his chest as she felt the contraction slowly begin to subside again.

Anakin closed his own eyes, as he felt her body trembling as she held him as tightly as he held her; it was the only selfish thing she had asked of him, through this entire ordeal. "Don't worry," Anakin whispered softly in Padmé's ear, as he listened to her fast, shallow breathing begin to slow slightly again. "I'm not going anywhere."

Anakin held her as securely as he could, his arms wrapped snugly around her chest; he sat behind her on the bunk, his knees under her arms as he supported her. The pressure on his chest was considerable, but he didn't care anymore; he pushed his own pain deep down inside of him, as he opened his eyes and watched Bail as he stood up from his chair beside the bunk and walked quickly to the intercom.

"Yes," Bail said, as he pressed the switch on the intercom panel near the door. "What is it?"

"_We're coming up on Master Kenobi's location, Senator Organa," _Threepio's metallic voice said over the intercom speaker. _"Master Yoda needs you to stand by the boarding ramp. We're going to attempt to land in just a moment."_

"Understood," Bail said, glancing back at Anakin as he held Padmé's trembling body tightly. "Don't wait on me," he said, looking back at the intercom. "I'll be ready."

Bail released the intercom's control switch and then walked quickly back across the small infirmary. "I won't be gone a moment, Anakin," Bail said, as he watched Anakin close his eyes and grimace again, painfully. "Will you be all right?"

Anakin coughed, painfully, as he nodded his head. "Go help Obi-Wan," Anakin said, opening his eyes and looking back up at Bail's concerned face. "I'll stay here with her."

"Anakin," Bail said, reaching out and placing his hand gently on the young Jedi's shoulder, "Padmé's almost fully dilated," he said. "She's instinctively going to want to start pushing as these contractions get stronger. It's very important that you try to keep her from doing that till I get back. Understood?"

"Okay," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly as he felt Padmé squeeze him tighter. "No pushing," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "Understood."

"I'll be back in just a minute," Bail said, taking a step toward the doorway next to him. "And I'll give you something for that pain when I get back."

"Don't worry about me," Anakin said, shaking his head, and he watched as Bail turned and walked quickly out of the infirmary toward the _Falcon's _main cabin.

"Did you hear that?" Anakin said softly, leaning forward and placing his cheek against Padmé's again. "No pushing, okay?"

"No pushing," Padmé gasped weakly between short, rapid breaths, nodding her head slowly as she reached up and placed her trembling left hand on Anakin's cheek. "What else?"

Anakin smiled, as he turned and kissed her tenderly on the cheek, several times, taking her hand from his cheek and squeezing it tightly. "I don't know," he whispered softly, shaking his head. "Master Obi-Wan never taught me anything about all of this," he said, as he watched Padmé close her eyes and smile, weakly. "For the first time in my life I have no idea what to do."

"Yes… you do," Padmé gasped softly between breaths, as she opened her eyes and turned her face toward his; Anakin felt their hearts touch again as she looked up at him fondly for a long moment, her deep brown eyes searching his.

"I know everything… is going to be fine," she gasped, as Anakin pulled her close to him, kissing her gently on the cheek again. "Because you're here… with me."

"I just wish I could take the pain away," Anakin whispered, and he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly for a long moment.

"I know," Padmé said, as she opened her eyes again and gently stroked his cheek. "Mom says… that pain makes us realize… how precious life is," Padmé gasped, wearily, closing her eyes again as she felt another contraction begin to build.

"She said… that's it all just part of it," Padmé said weakly, as she drew her knees up slowly as the pain began to grow stronger again. "She told me that… I'd understand… when it was all over."

Anakin pressed his cheek against Padmé's as closely as he could, closing his eyes tightly as he felt her begin to tremble again, as the strong contraction brought another loud cry of pain from his beloved wife's tired, weary body.

* * *

Obi-Wan's strength was almost gone; he pulled himself up, slowly, as he clung tenaciously to the narrow crevice in the stone wall, and looked over at the narrow opening above him, several meters to his right. He could see the smoke from the abyss below him spiraling up and out of the opening, pulled out by the vacuüm of the winds that whipped across the planet's surface just above him. He glanced back down, against his own better judgment, and looked down at the angry, glowing furnace far below him.

"Well," Obi-Wan said, panting hard as he looked down at the fiery abyss beneath him, "There's only two ways to go," he said, as he caught site of a spray of glowing red magma that erupted from the flow far below him and jetted up through the thick, red smoke.

"Up or down," he said, as he glanced back up to the opening about two meters to his right, just over his head. "And I think I'd prefer up."

Obi-Wan felt his heart stop again, for just an instant, as a strong tremor began to shake the stone wall that he clung to; he looked down, as a rumble as loud as thunder rolled through the massive chasm as huge plume of glowing red magma erupted up through the smoke.

He leaned in, as tightly as he could, shielding his face from the terrific heat that whipped past him from the plume that jetted up through the thick, acrid smoke. He closed his eyes and held his breath for a long moment, until he felt the heat begin to subside again.

He opened his eyes and looked up again, just as he heard a distinctly different sound, for a split second, as the thunderous roar that filled the angry chasm began to subside. He glanced up toward the opening to his right again, straining his ears as he listened; whatever it was, it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"You're hearing things," he sighed, shaking his head and looking back toward the narrow opening just above him. He studied the rocky face of the wall where he clung, searching for something, anything, that could afford him a good purchase and allow him to get to the narrow path to freedom that lay, so very close, but so far, from him.

There was no clear handhold for him to use; he would have to jump. He took a long, deep breath, as he glanced back down toward the fiery red smoke below him. "Well, Obi-Wan," he said, as he reached deeply down into the Force and attempted to calm himself, "We all have to die someday. If you don't make it," he said, as he turned his eyes back up to the opening above him, "at least you've had a good, full life."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a long moment, as he allowed the living Force to flow through him; he opened his eyes and, taking another long, deep breath, he crouched as low as he could and, mustering all of his strength, he jumped.

He felt his body jerk, and his fingers cried out in pain as they clutched tightly to the sharp, hot stone that surrounded the narrow opening; he hadn't thought about the continual stream of hot gas that flowed through the narrow opening, and he could feel his fingers begin to burn, as he struggled to pull himself up through the opening, as the smoke that whipped past him quickly clouded his eyes with tears as it filled his lungs with the acrid smell of sulfur.

Obi-Wan felt his strength waning fast, as he struggled to pull himself up; _It's no use, _he thought to himself, as he felt himself slip back down inside the opening as his fingers began to cry out in pain from the hot, sharp stone that he clung too.

_I'm too weak, _he thought, closing his eyes as the smoke began to sting them unbearably. Obi-Wan felt a twinge of pain run through his heart as he realized that, in a moment, he was going to die.

"I just hope they made it out of here," he coughed, as his thoughts shifted once more to Anakin; he felt his fingers beginning to lose their purchase on the lip of the narrow opening. He struggled to take another breath, as the fingers of his right hand suddenly slipped off of the lip of the narrow opening.

Obi-Wan felt two strong hands grab his wrist tightly, just as the fingers of his left hand slipped off of the sharp, hot stone; he looked up, stunned, blinking his eyes through the stinging, teary haze at the face that looked down at him.

"Why don't you get up here and ask them yourself?" Obi-Wan heard the familiar voice call to him, as he blinked his eyes hard again, and then looked back up through the narrow opening. He stared, in disbelief, at Bail Organa's face as he clung tightly to Obi-Wan's left arm.

"Grab my arm," Bail groaned, as he lay on the hard stone ground, clinging to Obi-Wan with all of his might. "And be quick about it, would you? We're a little pressed for time."

Obi-Wan swung his right arm up, grabbing Bail's arm as tightly as he could, as the tall, strong senator from Alderaan took a deep breath and pulled with all of his might.

* * *

Captain Bartellow stood behind the pilot's station of the gunship, watching out of the cockpit window as what was left of the small, silver cruiser plummeted back toward Mustafar's angry surface, trailing a long plume of thick, black smoke behind it as it disappeared into the thick bank of clouds below them.

"Good shot, gunner," Bartellow said, turning and nodding his helmeted head toward the trooper that manned the weapon station not far from him. "I'd say that takes care of them."

Bartellow turned his attention toward the communications station near him, as he heard the trooper that monitored the station address him. "Captain," the trooper said, anxiously, "We're receiving a transmission from Commander Ardenza's unit on the planet's surface."

"What is it?" Bartellow asked, as the trooper raised his gloved hand to his helmet, as he monitored the incoming transmission.

"Commander Ardenza says that Lord Vader's been injured, seriously," the trooper said, as he looked back up at his commanding officer. "They have him on life support, and they're requesting an immediate medical evac," he said, and he paused as he listened to the rest of the transmission.

"The evac order comes directly from newly appointed Emperor Palpatine himself," the trooper said, as he looked back up at Captain Bartellow.

"Very well," Bartellow said, nodding his head. "Advise Ardenza to have his unit standing by for evac," he said. "Have Ardenza inform Emperor Palpatine that we have intercepted and destroyed the targets, per Lord Vader's command."

"Yes, sir," the trooper said, turning his attention quickly back to the communications station in front of him.

"Have all transports rendezvous at Commander Ardenza's location, immediately," Bartellow said, turning his attention quickly to the pilot in the cockpit in front of him. "I want a full armed escort, and have all troops placed on high alert."

"Yes, Captain," the pilot replied obediently, and Bartellow placed his hand on the bulkhead near him, steadying himself as the pilot banked the ship hard to port, started toward the planet's surface as the other two transports fell in close behind them.

* * *

"I've got him!" Bail shouted loudly, as he and Obi-Wan ran quickly up the _Millenium Falcon's _boarding ramp. Obi-Wan stopped, his breath coming hard and heavy as he grabbed hold of a nearby support beam at the top of the ramp; he coughed hard, watching as Bail ran quickly to the control console on the nearby bulkhead and slammed the button with his fist.

"Let's go!" Bail shouted again, as he turned and watched the boarding ramp begin to close quickly as Yoda began to power up the _Falcon's_ engines. The ramp slammed shut with a solid _thunk, _and he turned his attention back toward Obi-Wan, walking quickly to the Jedi Knight's side as he felt the ship begin to turn as Yoda fired the ship's massive impulse engine.

"You all right?" Bail asked, placing his hand on Obi-Wan back and slapping him, gently, as Obi-Wan coughed again, and then stood up slowly, taking a long, welcome breath of the _Falcon's _cleanly filtered air.

"I think so," Obi-Wan gasped, turning and looking back at Bail with a thankful smile. "I don't think a simple 'thank you' is going to properly convey my gratitude, Senator," Obi-Wan said, standing up straighter and taking another long deep breath.

Bail looked down at Obi-Wan's hands; he could see the burns and cuts on several of his fingers. "You can thank me by giving Anakin a hand," Bail said, as he saw the look of relief that suddenly swept over Obi-Wan's face. "There's some antiseptic and bandages in the infirmary that should take care of those burns and cuts," he added, as Obi-Wan looked up at him.

"How is she?" Obi-Wan asked, as he moved his fingers, gingerly, and lifted his arm up and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his tunic.

"Not too good," Bail said, with a deep sigh. "She's got some pretty serious internal injuries. We're going to try to find the nearest medical facility, as soon as we can get into orbit. I'm going to head to the cockpit now, and help Master Yoda get us out of here so we can find one as soon as possible."

"The immediate worry is that Padmé's in labor," Bail said, watching Obi-Wan as his brow furrowed, deeply, as he spoke. "Her water broke just after we got her onboard the ship," Bail said. "She's going to give birth any minute. Anakin will need your help."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked, his countenance growing deeply concerned. "She's not due for another month."

"Quite sure," Bail said, as he placed his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and started to guide him down the corridor toward the infirmary. "She's fully dilated by now," Bail said, as he and Obi-Wan made their way quickly down the corridor toward the _Falcon's _central cabin. "Get those hands cleaned up, and as soon as you're ready, tell Anakin to have her start pushing. I'll have their droid round up the things you'll need and meet you in the crew cabin."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, and Bail turned and headed toward the cockpit as they entered the _Falcon's _main cabin; he watched him, for a moment, as he disappeared down the narrow corridor toward the cockpit, and then he turned quickly and made his way through the narrow door to his right, as he suddenly heard Padmé cry out in pain.

* * *

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, quietly, as he looked up and saw Obi-Wan's grimy, but relieved face look back at him as he walked quickly through the narrow doorway into the small infirmary.

"I was afraid we'd never see you again," Anakin said, as he and Obi-Wan locked arms and smiled at each other for a long moment.

"You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?" Obi-Wan said, his voice raspy and low as he raised his sleeve to his mouth and coughed again, several times.

"Master Kenobi," Padmé said, weakly, and Obi-Wan turned his attention toward her as he heard her voice; he let go of Anakin's arm and knelt quickly beside the small bunk, reaching over and placing his hand gently on Padmé's arm, as she lay huddled in Anakin's lap.

"It looks like someone's going to be a new mother a little sooner than we thought," Obi-Wan said with a grin, as Padmé smiled weakly back at him. "Don't worry, Padmé," he said, as he patted her hand reassuringly, looking back up at Anakin once more. "I can already see that you're in good hands, as usual."

"How far apart are her contractions, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, as he stood up.

"About a minute," Anakin said; he lifted his left hand and gently brushed Padmé's hair out of her eyes. Her hair was wet, soaked from the perspiration that dotted her face. "She just had one."

"All right," Obi-Wan sighed, as he took a deep breath and coughed once again. "Where's the medical supply cabinet?" he asked, his eyes scanning the small room quickly. "I need to get my hands cleaned up."

"Right there, on the wall behind you, Master," Anakin said, pointing at the small door on the bulkhead behind him.

Anakin watched Obi-Wan open the cabinet quickly, taking out several packets of antiseptic ointment and bandages. He closed the cabinet quickly and made his way to the small sink across from them, just as Threepio shuffled in through the doorway, his arms full of blankets and supplies.

"I have the supplies that Senator Organa asked me to bring you, Master Ani," Threepio exclaimed excitedly, as Anakin and Obi-Wan both turned and looked at him.

"Excellent, Threepio," Obi-Wan said, grimacing slightly as the soap stung the cuts on his fingers as he washed them, quickly. "Just put them down on the chair there," he said, nodding to the chair beside the bunk.

"And stay in here with us," Obi-Wan said, as he reached up and turned the water on the sink off and reached for the small towel, as he turned and began to dry his hands, gingerly. "Anakin and I may need your help."

"Padmé," Obi-Wan said, as he walked over to the bunk beside them and placed his hand gently on her shoulder, "as soon as you feel your next contraction, I want you to start pushing, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Padmé gasped weakly, closing her eyes and shaking her head slowly, as Anakin reached up and wiped away the perspiration that trickled slowly down her face. "I'm not supposed… to be due… for another…"

Obi-Wan could sense the fear that flowed through both her and Anakin; he turned around and walked back to the sink behind him, taking a clean towel and soaking it in the cool water that ran from the small faucet; he wrung it out, and then turned around and handed it to Anakin, nodding at him.

He watched for a moment, as Anakin began to wipe Padmé's tired, flushed face with the cool, damp towel. "Yes, Padmé," Obi-Wan said quietly, his voice still raspy and broken. "It's time," he said, as he looked back at Anakin for a long moment.

"You know, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed, as he turned to the counter behind him and began to quickly apply the antiseptic and bandages to the cuts on his fingers, "I'm starting to think you're a bad influence on her," he said, looking back over his shoulder at Anakin with a wry grin. "She's getting as bad as you and I are about doing things the hard way."

"Her dad says that she always did," Anakin said, looking down at her fondly as he gently dabbed Padmé's face with the cool towel he held in his hand.

"You know better… than to believe anything… Daddy tells you… about me, Ani," Padmé said between breaths, her eyes still closed as she rested her head against Anakin's.

"How are those injuries of yours doing, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, turning around and leaning back against the counter, as he placed another sterile bandage on his hand.

"They hurt like hell," Anakin groaned, as he looked back up at Obi-Wan painfully, shaking his head. "But I don't care right now."

Obi-Wan shook his head slowly and smiled back at Anakin, and then he turned and watched as Artoo rolled through the doorway and stopped next to Threepio.

"Looks like most of the family's here," Obi-Wan said, as he walked back over and placed his hand gently on Padmé's again. "Okay, Padmé," Obi-Wan said, as he glanced back up at Anakin. "Tell Anakin as soon as you feel your next contraction, okay?"

He watched Padmé, as she took a halting breath, and nodded her head slowly as she squeezed Anakin's arms tightly. Obi-Wan looked up, and he and Anakin exchanged a long, worried glance.

"I'm glad you're here, Obi-Wan," Anakin said quietly, as he smiled weakly back at his old master.

Obi-Wan smiled at him for a moment, and then he watched as Anakin turned his attention quickly back toward Padmé. "Here it comes," Anakin said, glancing up at Obi-Wan as he wrapped his arms around Padmé as tightly as he could as he sensed the pain that began to grow in her again.

Obi-Wan walked quickly to the end of the bunk and sat down, as he took a long deep breath; he looked down at his hands, and he could see them trembling. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked back up at Anakin, watching as his young friend leaned forward and cradled Padmé tightly in his arms.

"Okay, baby," Anakin said softly, placing his cheek tightly against hers as he felt her body begin to tremble as her breath started to come again in rapid, shallow gasps. "Push," he said gently, his own voice trembling as he closed his eyes and kissed her gently on the cheek as she cried out again in pain. "Push as hard as you can."

* * *

Yoda closed his eyes for a moment, as he sat in the pilot's chair of the _Millenium Falcon; _the mixture of emotions that he sensed emanating from the crew quarters in the back of the ship was almost overwhelming. It flowed over him like a waterfall, a mixture of fear, apprehension, intense pain and, most dominant of all, pure, unconditional love.

Yoda opened his eyes, and glanced back over at Bail as his friend studied the navigational computer beside him, his fingers tapping the controls quickly. "I think I've found a place that might suit us, Master Yoda," Bail said, looking at the information that flashed up on the nav computer's display.

"Deyer," Bail said, as he looked back up at Yoda's thoughtful face. "It's close, in the middle rim, less than ten parsecs from here," he said. "The Republic and Trade Federation have no presence there. It's a relatively benign planet, settled ages ago, but the natives are quite technologically advanced," Bail said, looking back down at the display again. "We should be able to find the medical help that she needs."

"I know a few people there, and I think some of them may be able to help," Bail added. "One in particular, come to think of it, used to be involved in medical research. She could be of some help."

Bail looked back up at the display over his head, as he pulled back slightly on the control yoke in front of him. "We should be free of the planet's atmosphere in another few moments," he said. "As soon as we are, I'll make the jump to light speed."

"Any sign, is there, of Vader's transports?" Yoda asked, as Bail turned his attention to the sensor display in front of him.

"None," Bail said, shaking his head. "Anakin's ruse must have worked better than we anticipated. It looks like they never detected us."

Yoda took a long, deep breath, as he stretched out with his feelings into the Force; he wasn't sure what it was that he felt, but the dark, angry tremor unnerved him. He sat quietly for a long moment, and then turned and nodded his head at Bail again.

"Padmé's needs, our first priority must be," Yoda said, as he watched Bail program the coördinates for Deyer into the nav computer. "Take us to light speed, as quickly as you can," Yoda said, and he turned and watched as Bail powered up the _Millenium Falcon's _massive star drive, as they broke through the angry atmosphere and the view screen in front of them fell black, as the stars began to fill the space around them.

* * *

"OOooohHHH!" Padmé cried, as the wave of intense pain rippled through her body, bearing down and pushing as hard as she could, as the seemingly endless contraction forced her to try, as hard as her body would let her, to bring the new life inside her into the world.

She collapsed back into Anakin's arms, as the contraction subsided mercifully, for a moment, her body trembling as she felt Anakin's cheek against hers as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"You're doing great, Angel," Anakin whispered encouragingly in her ear, as she felt him kiss her tenderly on the cheek again.

"I'm so tired, Ani," she sobbed, softly, as he reached up and wiped away the tear that trickled slowly down her cheek. "It hurts so… so much, and I'm… I'm so tired."

"I know you are, baby," Anakin whispered, as he hugged her tightly and reached out to her with all the love in his heart. "Just a bit more, though," he said softly, reaching down and squeezing her trembling hand tightly. "You're almost there."

Padmé felt the strong tremor deep in her heart, as Anakin's heart touched hers again, and she reached up and placed her trembling hand gently on his cheek again. "I love you… so much, Ani," she sobbed quietly. "So very much."

"I love you, Padmé," Anakin whispered in her ear, as he closed his eyes and held her tightly.

"Threepio," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention from Padmé back to the tall, silver droid, as he and Artoo stood watching, in silent wonder, at the miracle taking place before them. "Put those strong, metal arms of yours to use, and tear one of those bunk sheets in half," he said, watching as Threepio hurried to the chair and picked one of the pale blue sheets up in his metal hands.

"These babies are going to be here in just a minute," Obi-Wan said, as he took the scissors that he had retrieved from the medical cabinet and placed them beside him on the bunk. "And tear me off several small strips from one of the pieces," Obi-Wan said, as he watched Threepio rend the clean, unused sheet neatly in half.

"Yes, Master Kenobi," Threepio replied obediently, as he quickly finished fulfilling Obi-Wan's request and laid the sheets on the bed beside him.

"Padmé," Obi-Wan said, looking up at her tired, exhausted face as she looked down at him, weakly. "The first one is almost here," he said, nodding his head as he watched her chest rise and fall rapidly as she clung tightly to Anakin's arms. "I want you to push as hard as you can the minute that the next contraction starts, okay?"

Padmé nodded her head weakly; Anakin reached down and picked up the towel beside him and began to gently wipe the perspiration from her face again. He placed the towel back on the bunk beside him, and pressed his cheek close to hers again, as he sensed her body tense again, as the next powerful contraction started.

"Push, baby," Anakin coached, softly, as he felt her body begin to tremble again. He closed his eyes, his heart aching again, as he listened to her cry out again, as her body forced her to bear down as hard as she could as her agonized cry filled the cabin around them.

Padmé felt an incredible wave of pain sweep through her body, and she clung as tightly as she could to her beloved husband's arms; she cried out, tears streaming down her face, as her body forced her to push with all of her might. The pain became almost unbearable, and, just as she thought she couldn't possible take any more, she cried out in agony and pushed, one last time.

She felt the pain begin to subside, quickly; she laid there, trembling, clinging tightly to Anakin's arms, her breath coming shallow and ragged, as she suddenly heard the incredible sound that suddenly filled her ears. She opened her tear-filled eyes and looked down, in wonder and disbelief, and she began to sob as Anakin's arms tightened around her as she heard the small, trembling cry that began to echo through the small cabin.

Anakin watched in sheer wonder, as Obi-Wan quickly tied the small strip of material tightly several times around the baby's umbilical cord, and then took the scissors and quickly snipped the cord above the knots he had fastened. Anakin placed his cheek tightly against Padmé's, the two of them watching in wonder as Obi-Wan's trembling hands wrapped the tiny baby gently in one half of the sheet that Threepio had given him.

"Congratulations, Padmé," Obi-Wan grinned, his own voice trembling, as he leaned forward and gently placed the tiny baby in the crook of Padmé's trembling arm. "You've got a beautiful new daughter."

Padmé felt a joy and warmth spread through her heart unlike any she had ever known, as she looked down through her tears at the beautiful, dark-haired little girl who cried softly in her arms. She looked up at Anakin, and she reached up, touching his cheek lightly with her trembling fingers as he gazed, with amazement and wonder, at the tiny baby that Padmé cradled in her arms.

Padmé closed her eyes again, as she felt the incredibly strong contraction that suddenly struck her; she cried out again in agony, as Anakin clung tightly to her. "Come on, baby," Anakin said, as he clung to her as tightly as he could. "It's almost over," he said. "One more time, you can do it."

Padmé pushed hard, with the last of the strength that she had; her agonized, pain-filled cry filled the small cabin, as she clung to Anakin's trembling arms as tightly as she could.

* * *

Yoda turned and looked over at Bail, watching as the dark-haired senator turned and looked quickly over his shoulder as they heard the sound coming from the _Falcon's _crew cabin behind them.

Bail turned and looked back at Yoda for a long moment, the two of them smiling quietly at each other, as they listened to the tiny cries that echoed through the ship, over the low, smooth hum of the _Falcon's _engines.

* * *

Anakin looked down again, as he heard the second small cry begin to fill the cabin; he watched, in sheer wonder, as Obi-Wan gently wrapped the tiny baby securely in the other half of the pale blue sheet that Threepio had given him.

Padmé sobbed softly, turning her tear-filled eyes from the small, fragile life in her arms, as Obi-Wan gently picked up the tiny baby in his trembling hands and looked at him with a smile for a long moment.

"Congratulations, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, looking up at his young friend with a broad grin, as he leaned forward and placed the tiny baby in the crook of Padmé's other arm. "You've got a strong new son."

Anakin felt his body trembling, as Padmé turned her exhausted, but happy face up toward him. "Congratulations, baby," Padmé whispered weakly, as she pressed her cheek close against his as he kissed her tenderly, over and over again. "You're a father."

Anakin turned Padmé's face toward him, very gently, and he leaned down and kissed her long and tenderly, as he clung tightly to her as she cradled their softly crying, newborn twins in her arms. "I love you so much, Padmé," Anakin said, as he gazed deeply into her tired, but happy eyes.

"They're beautiful," he said, shaking his head as he gazed down at the, barely able to see from the tears that pooled in his eyes. "Just like their mother."

Padmé turned her tired, weary gaze toward the dark-haired baby girl that she cradled in her right arm, and she leaned forward and kissed her, very gently on her tiny forehead. "Hello, Leia," she sobbed softly, as she watched Anakin gently touch her tiny hand.

"And hello, Luke," Anakin whispered, as he watched Padmé gently kiss the tiny, sandy-haired boy who cried in the crook of her left arm.

Obi-Wan leaned back on his elbows and took a long, deep breath; he could feel his body trembling, as he watched, with the same wonder as Anakin and Padmé, at the two new lives that he had helped bring into the world.

They had all seen so much pain, so much death over the last few days; yet here, in the midst of all the pain, all the suffering, were two wonderful new lives, a brilliant flash of hope in a dark and dreary world. Obi-Wan smiled, widely, and he felt himself begin to laugh with joy and amazement as he watched, along with Artoo and Threepio, as his closest, dearest friends welcome their children into the world.


	16. A Time to Heal

_**Chapter 16: A Time To Heal**_

Anakin sat down slowly on the side of the bunk; he placed his hand gently on Padmé's cheek, caressing it softly as he gazed quietly at her for a long moment.

She was sleeping now, thankfully, with the help of the medication that Bail had given her a short while ago. Anakin leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek, pausing as he felt her shallow, rapid breath on his own; he opened his eyes and gazed at her for a long moment, as he gently caressed her cheek.

Bail placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder, as he saw the worried look on his face. "Don't worry, Anakin," Bail said, nodding reassuringly as Anakin turned his eyes up toward him. "She'll be fine. We're less than three hours away from Deyer."

"She's everything to me, Bail," Anakin whispered softly, as he gently brushed his fingers through her thick, brown hair. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost her."

"You're not going to lose her, Anakin," Bail said, shaking his head. "We'll get her there in time."

Anakin closed his eyes; he drew in a long, troubled breath, exhaling slowly as he nodded his head. "I'm going to go and check our current course and speed," Bail said, gently patting Anakin's shoulder. "I'll see if I can squeeze a little more speed out of the _Falcon's_ engines and get us there a little quicker."

Anakin smiled back up at his friend. "Okay," he said quietly, nodding his head.

"I'll be back in a few minutes and we'll get that chest of your bound up," Bail added, as he watched the young Jedi grimace and wrap his left arm tightly around his chest again. "You finally ready to let me give you a hand with that?"

Anakin nodded his head, slowly; the pain in his chest was beginning to wear on him, and he was ready, finally, for some relief. "I think so," he said, as he cradled his chest gingerly. "Thanks, Bail."

Bail smiled at him for a moment, and then the dark-haired senator turned and walked back out of the crew cabin and headed back toward the cockpit.

Anakin turned his eyes back toward Padmé; he watched her quietly for a long moment, and then leaned down and kissed her again gently on the cheek. He leaned up slowly, holding his chest gingerly, and then he stood up and walked back out of the infirmary toward the crew cabin behind him.

* * *

Anakin stopped and placed his hand on the smooth, metal arch that lead to the crew cabin; he smiled, as he saw Yoda's small figure standing beside the lower bunk near the bulkhead, his small hands resting on his cane as he looked thoughtfully at the tiny, sleeping baby girl on the bunk in front of him.

His smile widened, as he turned his head and saw Obi-Wan look up at him from the chair across from him, as he held Anakin's new son gently in his arms. "How's she doing, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, as he looked up from the chair where he sat near the foot of the small bunk.

Yoda turned around slowly as Anakin stepped into the cabin. "She's doing okay," he sighed, as he walked slowly over to the bunk where his new daughter lay sleeping. "The meds that Bail gave her seems to be working," Anakin said, as he sat down slowly and gingerly on the bunk. "She's sleeping now, but she's still in a lot of pain. I can feel it."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head slowly. "Just as you are, young Skywalker," he said, watching Anakin as he cradled his chest gingerly. "Sense your pain, a young padawan could. Past time, it is, to have that injury looked after."

"Bail's coming back in a few minutes," Anakin said, nodding his head obediently. "He's gone to check the nav computer, and then he's going to give me a hand." Anakin took a long, halting breath, as Yoda frowned and looked at him; he could sense the incredible pain that coursed through Anakin's side.

"To be completely honest," Anakin sighed, nodding his head weakly as he looked up at Yoda's thoughtful face, "I'm ready for a little help."

"About time it is, that you asked for that," Yoda said with a nod, as he watched Anakin reach over and push back the sheet that Leia was wrapped in so he could see her tiny face.

"How are they doing?" Anakin asked, as he turned his attention back to his newborn daughter as she lay sleeping peacefully on the bunk beside him.

"They're doing just fine," Obi-Wan sighed, as he stood up slowly, cradling Luke's tiny body gently in his arms. "Your new son was fussing a bit a few moments ago," he grinned, as he walked slowly over and stood between them. "But he's sleeping now."

Anakin smiled, as he and Yoda watched Obi-Wan lay Luke down gently on the bunk beside his sister. Obi-Wan stood up, slowly, and they all looked silently, for a long moment, at the two tiny babies that lay sleeping on the bunk in front of them.

"For eight hundred years, have I watched this miracle take place, many times," Yoda said quietly, smiling down at Anakin and Padmé's children. "As new and wondrous it is, each time," Yoda said thoughtfully, "as the very first time I saw it."

"But you've never seen this one before, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan grinned, folding his arms across his chest as Yoda and Anakin looked up at him. "Not a lot of Jedi Knights ever become fathers."

Yoda chuckled quietly to himself, as he nodded his head and took a step closer to the bunk. "Correct you are, Obi-Wan," he said. "A new experience this is, indeed," he sighed, turning his smiling face back toward Anakin. "And not just for young Skywalker and his companion."

Yoda turned his attention back to the two tiny children in front of him for a moment, and Anakin watched as the Jedi master closed his eyes and stretched out his small hand toward his newborn twins. "Strong, the Force is, with these two," Yoda said, opening his eyes and looking back at Anakin thoughtfully. "Just as with their father, and mother."

"I know," Anakin nodded, as he reached over and touched Leia's tiny hand gently; he watched her, as she jerked in her sleep as she felt his hand touch her. "Padmé and I could tell, a long time ago, not long after we found out she was pregnant," he said, looking back up at Obi-Wan and Yoda thoughtfully.

"Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, as Yoda turned his attention up toward him, "There's something that I've wanted to ask you for a long time."

"What is it, Obi-Wan?" Yoda asked, as Anakin looked on thoughtfully.

"Padmé's abilities have grown tremendously in the past few years," Obi-Wan said, his expression deeply thoughtful. "I sensed it, as soon as I saw her again on Naboo a few days ago. How is that she wasn't located when she was a child? The Order has watched Naboo for centuries," he said, as Yoda and Anakin exchange a long, thoughtful glance. "How could they have missed someone with abilities as strong as hers?"

Obi-Wan watched, somewhat puzzled, as Anakin and Yoda continued to look at each other in silence for a long time. "I think it's time to tell him, Master," Anakin said quietly, nodding his head. "He needs to know."

"Tell me what?" Obi-Wan asked inquisitively. "Why do I get the feeling that you've been holding out on me, Anakin?"

"Blame Anakin, you must not," Yoda said, shaking his head slowly. "Wanted to tell you, he did, long ago. Obeying my request, he was," Yoda sighed. "Nothing more."

Obi-Wan watched curiously, as Yoda reached down and produced a small translucent data disc from his belt. Yoda held it up toward his friend, and Anakin watched as Obi-Wan held it up in front of him and examined it, closely.

Obi-Wan's curious expression deepened, as he saw the name scrawled across the small, octagonal disc:

_Skywalker, Padmé_

"Is this what I think it is?" Obi-Wan asked, a look of curious disbelief on his bearded face. "These look like padawan test records."

"Indeed they are," Yoda sighed, nodding his head.

"There's a lot we need to tell you about Padmé, Master," Anakin said, as Obi-Wan turned his attention back toward his old padawan again. "There's a lot about her that you don't know."

Yoda nodded his head, and then took a long, deep breath. "Much we have to talk about, indeed," he sighed. "Much has happened, and more I feel, is to come. Difficult it is, to believe," Yoda said quietly, "but all but destroyed forever, the Jedi Order is."

"Thorough, indeed, Sidious and his apprentice have been," Yoda said, shaking his head sadly as he looked back toward Anakin's sleeping children again. "Difficult it will be, to salvage what remains and defeat him."

"Dark and uncertain, our future has become," Yoda said quietly. "Much to discuss, we have indeed. But wait it must, until Padmé's needs have been met. Our first concern, that must be."

Yoda turned toward Obi-Wan and held out his small hand, and Obi-Wan placed the data disc back into his outstretched palm. "Discuss this, we will, soon enough," Yoda said, as he tucked the small disk safely back into his belt.

"One thing is certain, however," Yoda said, nodding his head as Anakin and Obi-Wan listened to him intently. He glanced up at Obi-Wan, and then back at Anakin as he paused for just a moment, and then they all turned and looked back at the two tiny, sleeping babies before them.

"On these tiny shoulders," Yoda said thoughtfully, placing his hands on his cane and taking a long, deep breath, "Our future rests."

The three of them watched in silence, for a long moment, until they heard Bail's heavy footsteps approaching behind them.

Anakin turned around, gingerly, as Bail stepped into the small crew cabin with them. "We should be reaching Deyer in about two hours," he said, nodding his head. "Anakin's droid managed to squeeze a little more out of the hyperdrive with a bit of fine tuning," he said. "He's quite handy and resourceful, that little astrodroid of yours."

"Artoo has his moments," Anakin grinned in reply, as Bail took a step back closer toward the doorway.

"Speaking of moments," Bail said, nodding his head at Anakin, "we're long overdue for one to take care of you," he said. "Come on, Anakin," Bail said, extending his hand and helping Anakin up from the bunk where he sat. "Let's go see what we can do to ease that pain."

"Don't worry, Anakin," Obi-Wan nodded, as he saw Anakin glance back toward the bunk and then back up at his old master. "Go let Bail give you a hand," he said. "We'll keep an eye on them for you."

Obi-Wan and Yoda watched quietly, as Bail placed his hand gently on Anakin's back and ushered him through the doorway, back toward the infirmary.

* * *

Captain Bartellow snapped to attention, as the blue-green image appeared on the holopad directly in front of him. _"Give me a status report,_" Darth Sidious said coldly, his dark, hooded image flashing brightly in the dim light of the frigate's medical lab.

"We currently have him stabilized, your Excellency," Bartellow replied, his voice echoing through the medlab as he spoke. "We have placed him in stasis and are awaiting your orders to proceed."

_"How serious are his injuries?"_ Sidious asked, his cold voice noticeably absent of any trace of emotion as he spoke.

"He's suffered serious burns over ninety-eight percent of his body," Bartellow replied. "His left arm is intact, but his right arm is missing and stripped of flesh to the shoulder. Both legs are missing, the left one below the knee, the right at the hip."

_"Will he survive the procedure?"_ Darth Sidious asked, matter-of-factly, eyeing Bartellow with keen interest.

"It's difficult to say with certainty, your Excellency," Bartellow replied. "But the medical droids feel that there is a thirty-four point three percent chance of success."

_"Very well,"_ Sidious said, nodding his hooded head slowly. _"Begin the procedure. I am leaving Coruscant and will be en route to you shortly. Keep me advised as to your progress."_

"Yes, your Excellency," Bartellow replied, and he watched for a moment as Darth Sidious' image flickered and faded from the holopad in front of him.

Captain Bartellow turned around quickly, his boots echoing through the medlab as he quickly approached the droid that stood near the bacta tank near the center of the room.

"What are your order, Captain?" the droid near the tank replied, as he turned his attention to Bartellow as he came and looked at the bacta tank for a long moment.

"Retrieve the information from General Grievous' files," Bartellow said, as the droid plugged the control chip into the socket below the tank's glass. "Remove him from stasis and begin the procedure, as soon as possible."

"Understood, Captain," the droid replied, and Bartellow looked up and watched, as a surge of brilliant white bubbles erupted from the bottom of the tank as the droid engaged the control chip.

Bartellow resisted his own urge to look away, as the shimmering curtain of bubbles rose slowly and floated past the figure in the tank; he grimaced, as he saw the horribly burned, disfigured mass of flesh inside the bacta tank twitch several times, the burned, charred bone that protruded from where Vader's arm used to be scraping against the inside of the tank in front of him.

"Keep me apprised of your progress," Bartellow said, disgustedly, and he turned and walked quickly out of the medlab. The medical droid turned to the computer behind him and began to call up the information in General Grievous' files, as his companions prepared to remove what was left of Darth Vader from the blue, bubbling bacta tank behind him.

* * *

Bail looked out of the tall, gently curving window, out over the strange skyline of the large city; Deyer was a watery planet, much like Kamino, yet it boasted at least some land masses to its credit. He looked out through the rain that streaked down the smooth, curved window at the glistening lights of the large, dome-shaped buildings that rose high into the dark, stormy sky around them.

They had arrived almost two hours ago; he had brought the _Millennium Falcon _down through the thick, stormy clouds and docked at the large landing platform next to the large medical facility, and they had wasted no time in getting Padmé off of the ship and into Devon Leesu's capable hands.

He had met the tall, grey skinned physician several years ago, when he and a delegation from the Republic had arrived on a purely diplomatic visit. Leesu had remembered him, and thanks to his pleasant relationship with the distinguished physician when he had visited before, Leesu had arranged for them to land immediately after he had shared the urgency of their situation and Padmé's condition with him.

Settled ages ago, Deyer was a fairly forgotten planet; the planet boasted a wealth of technological and natural resources, but nothing so unusual as to draw much attention to it. The government, while hospitable and cordial, had steadfastly refused to involved itself in the affairs of the Republic, preferring to stay to themselves. He was thankful now, very thankful indeed, that they had chosen to do so; with Palpatine's Clone Army scouring the galaxy for any trace of the Jedi, Deyer was a welcome, inconspicuous haven in this dark hour.

Bail turned around, as he heard Obi-Wan's voice behind him. "Any word yet?" Obi-Wan asked, as he offered Bail one of the steaming cups that he held in his hand.

"I'm not quite sure what it is," Obi-Wan said, cocking one eyebrow slyly, "but it's hot, and it doesn't taste too bad."

"Sounds good enough to me," Bail nodded, as he took the cup from Obi-Wan and studied at it thoughtfully. "And no, no word yet," he said, as he looked back up at Obi-Wan's worried face. "Devon said that he'd let us know something as soon as they could."

Obi-Wan looked across the room, to the small circle of chairs that stood near the windows not far from them; Yoda sat resting quietly in one of the chairs, his eyes closed, as Threepio and Artoo stood near the window, looking out over the city as the rain continued to pour down from the skies in thick, heavy sheets.

"Is Anakin still in there with her?" Obi-Wan asked, as Bail lifted the cup to his lips and took a small, apprehensive sip.

"Yes," Bail said, as he furrowed his brow and looked down at the cup in his hand again. "Devon tried to convince him to let one of his medical droids get started on his injuries, but he wouldn't have any part of it."

"Little strong, isn't it?" Bail added, as he took another halting sip from the cup in his hand.

"Just a bit," Obi-Wan chuckled, as he took a sip from the cup in his own hand. "But it gets better after the second cup," he said, as Bail grinned back at him curiously. "Trust me."

The two of them stood quietly for a long moment, looking out over the dark, rainy city that stretched out before them. "Odd, isn't it?" Obi-Wan finally said quietly, as Bail turned his attention toward him. "The one planet we find that can help us looks a lot like the one that helped create this mess in the first place."

"Fortunately, I think you'll find that's where the similarities with Kamino end," Bail nodded, as he took another sip from the cup in his hand. "I remember that much from our visit several years ago. The Deyan government banned cloning centuries ago. Most of the indigenous people of this planet are deeply religious, and they hold life, in all of its forms, in the highest regard."

"They view cloning as a violation against the natural cycle of life itself," Bail said, nodding his head. "But their medical skills are second to none."

Bail and Obi-Wan turned around together, as they heard the doorway behind them open. They watched, somewhat anxiously, as Devon Leesu stepped through the door; he turned his large, grey head slowly, blinking his dark eyes several times as he walked slowly toward Bail and Obi-Wan's place near the room's large windows.

"Senator Organa," Devon said politely, bowing his tall, grey form slowly as Bail and Obi-Wan returned his gesture.

"How is she, Devon?" Bail asked, as the tall, gangly physician stood up straight and blinked his large eyes again, slowly.

"Her injuries were significant," Devon Leesu said, his shrill, smooth toned voice echoing through the room around them as he spoke. "She suffered a small fracture to the base of her skull, just below her left ear. Her internal organs showed signs of impact trauma, and there was some internal bleeding."

Obi-Wan took a long, troubled breath, as he looked at Devon as he spoke; he had known that Padmé had been injured, and seriously; yet, now, he felt a genuine sense of fear begin to sweep over him as he listened to Devon tell them just how bad those injuries had been. He glanced over, as he heard the tap of Yoda's cane on the smooth floor beside him, and he watched as the tiny Jedi master walked up to his side and listened intently as Devon continued.

"It is a miracle that she was able to survive the trauma of natural childbirth, given the extent of her injuries," Devon said, as he glanced over at Yoda as he spoke. "We had to repair a rupture in her diaphragm, and in one of her kidneys," he said. "Given the seriousness of her trauma, I am amazed that she was able to survive until your arrival."

"Is she going to be all right?" Obi-Wan asked, as Yoda lowered his head and closed his eyes thoughtfully, turning his small cane slowly in his hands.

"Much of that will depend on her," Devon said, his tone growing softer as he spoke. "She's obviously very strong, or she would not have survived as long as she has," he said. "We were able to stop the bleeding, and her injuries have been repaired, but she's extremely weak at the moment. We have her in a recovery chamber. She is currently sedated, but you may see her if you wish."

"How's Anakin?" Bail asked, obviously as worried as the others.

"He is as well as can be expected," Devon said, nodding his large head slowly. "We encouraged him to come and wait here, with you, but he would have no part of it. He remained at her side throughout the entire procedure."

"I have tried to encourage him to let us assist him with his own injuries," Devon said, shaking his head slowly as he spoke, "but he steadfastly refuses to leave her side. Perhaps you can convince him to let us help him."

"I'll try," Obi-Wan sighed, deeply. "But I'm not holding much hope for getting Anakin to leave her side right now."

"Yes," Devon said, nodding his tall grey head slowly. "His love and devotion to her is quite evident," he said. "I am assuming that hers runs just as deep for him?"

"If not deeper," Bail said, looking at Obi-Wan and Yoda for a long moment.

"That bodes well for her chances, then," Devon said, nodding his head again slowly. "Come," he said, as he turned and extended his long arm toward the door behind him. "I'll show you to them."

"The younglings," Yoda asked, quietly, looking up at Devon's large, round eyes as they started slowly for the doorway that Leesu had emerged from. "How are they?"

"The news is much better, where the children are concerned," Devon said, his tone brightening somewhat as they walked. "Both of them are doing remarkably well, considering the stressful situation of their birth and their somewhat premature arrival," he said. "They are both in the nursery, not far from their mother, and I am pleased to report that they are in good health. They both just received their first feeding."

"Threepio," Obi-Wan said, turning to the two droids as they stood close by, listening intently. "You and Artoo wait here. We'll be back shortly."

"Yes, Master Kenobi," Threepio said, and he and Artoo watched in silence, as Bail, Yoda, and Obi-Wan all walked quickly through the tall, arching doorway as Devon Leesu closed the door and followed close behind them.

* * *

Anakin looked up, slowly, as he saw Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail step through the doorway and walk quickly toward him, as he sat at Padmé's bedside, holding her hand tightly.

"How is she, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, as he stepped quickly to his friend's side and placed his hand on his shoulder; Anakin was a pale as a ghost.

"She's sleeping," Anakin replied weakly, nodding his head and looking back at her as Obi-Wan squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Devon says that they have her sedated, and that she'll be asleep for a little while," he said, as Bail, Yoda, and Devon Leesu walked up quietly to the foot of Padmé's bed.

"She's not hurting as much, anymore," Anakin said quietly, as he reached out and touched her cheek gently. "I can sense that much, already."

"That's good," Obi-Wan said, as brightly and encouragingly as he could. "That's a good sign."

"Yeah," Anakin said, trying as hard as he could to force a smile as he nodded his head slowly. Obi-Wan looked down at Anakin; he could sense the agony that flowed through his friend's heart, and he felt his own ache as he watched Anakin reach up and wipe his eyes on the sleeve of his tunic, and then place his hand back on Padmé's again.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, as his young friend looked up at him, "I know that you don't want to," he said, "and I'll understand if you say no, but you really need to let Devon's staff take a look at your injuries."

"I don't want to leave her," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "Not until I know she's going to be okay."

Obi-Wan patted Anakin's shoulder again, as he turned and looked back at Devon as he stood quietly at Yoda's side. "I asked," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head slowly. "I won't ask him again," he said. "We'll just have to wait."

"Very well," Devon said, nodding his head slowly. "Would it be possible to persuade him to allow us to provide him with some medication for the pain until we can treat him?" Devon asked, watching as Anakin looked over at him.

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan for a long moment, and then nodded his head, slowly. "That appears to be acceptable," Obi-Wan said, looking back at Devon with a weak smile.

"Progress, at least," Devon said, as he turned and started toward the doorway again. "I'll have it brought in directly."

"Perhaps the two of you would like to see the children?" Devon asked, looking at Yoda and Bail, his tone brightening. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the nursery."

Anakin watched, with Obi-Wan standing by his side, as Yoda and Bail followed Devon out of the door and started down the long, white hallway.

"Don't worry, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin turned his tired, worried face up toward him again as he squeezed his shoulder tightly. "Padmé's strong," he said, nodding his head reassuringly. "She's going to be fine. You'll see."

Anakin smiled, very weakly, and Obi-Wan watched him as he turned his attention back to Padmé; Obi-Wan took a long, halting breath, as he looked at her as she lay, completely still, in the bed, with nothing but the soft beep of the monitors and equipment in the room to break the worried silence around them.

They had done what they could; all they could do now, he thought to himself as he sighed deeply, was wait.

* * *

_Anakin lay on his back in the thick, green grass, his head resting in her lap; he laughed, smiling brightly, as he looked up at Padmé's radiant face as she gazed down at him._

"_What's so funny?" Padmé laughed, as she pinched his arm playfully._

"_Nothing," he laughed, squirming as he reached over and caught her hand as she pinched him, squeezing it tightly as she laced her fingers in his._

"_Don't you like that name?" Padmé asked, as Anakin pulled her hand up and placed it on his chest, holding it tightly. She watched him, as he reached over with his free hand and rummaged through the small basket beside them, and then pulled out another small handful of bright red gandara berries._

_They were some of his favorites, and she always made sure she packed plenty of them into their basket when she came to the city to have lunch with him. The small, cozy park was only a short walk from their shop, and they came here often. Anakin's days at the shop were usually very busy, and the park was a perfect place, a tiny oasis of peace and contentment, where they could spend a few quiet moments together in the middle of the day._

_She smiled, as she watched him pop a couple of the sweet, juicy berries into his mouth. "Yes, I do, very much," Anakin said, chuckling under his breath as he munched contentedly. "I think it's a wonderful name."_

"_Then why are you laughing?" Padmé said, looking down at his twinkling, happy eyes with an inquisitive smirk; she opened her mouth, as he reached up and placed one of the plump, ripe berries in her mouth._

"_I was just thinking about the look on your father's face a little while ago, when you told him we were having two," Anakin laughed, shaking his head. "I don't think I've ever seen anybody get that excited before."_

_Anakin had never felt so happy, so content; Padmé's eyes sparkled as she laughed with him. "I know," she laughed, nodding her head. "I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. Are you going to be able to fix that logic probe he dropped?"_

"_Sure," Anakin laughed, as he popped another berry or two into his mouth and chewed happily. "Even if I can't, it was worth the price of a new one, just to see the look on his face."_

"_Think he's made it back home yet?" Anakin asked, as he reached up and placed another berry in her mouth._

"_Probably," Padmé nodded, munching as contentedly as he was. "He's had time."_

"_You need to stay here with me this afternoon," Anakin sighed, as she looked back down at him fondly as she gently wove her fingers through his long hair. "We can go home early today. I want to be there to see the look on your mom and Sola's faces when we get home. I don't want to miss that."_

"_Okay," Padmé laughed, as she gently rubbed the back of his neck. "Can we stop by the shops on the way home?" she asked brightly. "There's a new book that I've been wanting to pick up for a while now."_

"_Of course," Anakin smiled, as he gazed up at her fondly for a long, quiet moment._

"_Leia," Anakin said again, after a long pause; he reached over and placed his hand gently on her stomach. She was just beginning to show, and he could feel her soft, round stomach underneath her thin, white blouse. "I really like that name," he said. "It's beautiful, just like her mother, and just like she's going to be."_

"_You're sweet," Padmé smiled radiantly back at him, as she squeezed his hand gently. "And besides, it matches the one you chose for our son," she nodded. "Don't you think they go well together?"_

"_Luke and Leia Skywalker," Anakin said, nodding his head. "Yes I do," he chuckled happily. "They're both wonderful names."_

"_Then that settles it," Padmé replied, nodding her head firmly. "You hear that, you two?" she said, looking down and patting her stomach playfully. "You have names now. I hope you like them."_

_Anakin laughed at her for a long moment; he closed his eyes and smiled contentedly, as he felt her place her hand gently on his cheek. "I love you," he sighed contentedly, as he snuggled close to her as he lay in her lap; he closed his eyes and sighed peacefully as he felt the warm, soothing tremor that traveled from her heart to his, as warm as the afternoon sun that shone down on them, as Padmé gently ran her fingers through his long, wavy hair._

"I love you, too."

Anakin sighed again, as he heard Padmé's soft voice and felt the gentle touch of her hand on his neck. It seemed so real; he could feel her fingers, as she gently wove them through his wavy blonde hair and softly rubbed the back of his neck.

He had fallen asleep at her bedside, his right hand resting gently on her shoulder. His head rested in the crook of his elbow, and he slowly opened his eyes, as the stark, white walls at the foot of her bed began to slowly come into focus. He blinked his eyes sleepily several times, as the peaceful image of his dream began to fade and he slowly began to remember where he was.

He didn't know how long he'd been sleeping; the pain medication that Devon's staff had given him had made him sleepy, and the last thing he remembered was politely refusing to leave Padmé's bedside as Devon's assistants had asked him, once again, to let them treat his injuries.

He glanced wearily around the room, his head still resting on his arm, his eyes half-open; the chair in the corner where Obi-Wan had been sitting was empty, and Anakin turned his sleepy gaze toward the window. The rain had let up, at least for the moment, and he could see the city's lights twinkling in the darkness outside, glistening through the drops of water that stood on the surface of the tall, concave glass.

He started to yawn, but his breath suddenly caught in his throat; he was sure he had been dreaming before, yet he snapped his eyes open wide, as he felt the soft touch of Padmé's hand again, as she placed it gently on the crown of his head and slowly stroked his hair.

It wasn't just a dream, after all; Anakin turned his head and looked up, sleepy, exhausted, and bewildered, toward the head of her bed. He felt his heart leap in his chest, as he saw Padmé's tired but smiling face looking back at him...

It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"Padmé?" he asked softly, as he sat up quickly and leaned close to her, blinking his eyes again sleepily. "What?" he asked, shaking his head slowly. "What did you say?"

"I said I love you, too," Padmé said with a warm, loving smile, as she placed her hand gently on Anakin's cheek as he reached across her and took her other hand tightly in his.

"You were talking in your sleep again," she said warmly; her voice was weak and broken, but her eyes shone brightly as she smiled at him, watching as he took her hand from his cheek and kissed it gently, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

Anakin had been running on hope, and hope alone, ever since that moment in the cave on Mustafar; that terrible, horrific image had been burned into his mind, and he had watched her strike that wall, over and over again. He'd been strong, because he knew that she needed him to be, not just for her, but also for the two tiny children that slept in the nursery not far from them.

He had known all along how close to death she had come, yet he had refused to consider the horrible, unbearable thought that he might lose her. He had steadfastly pushed it away, buried it deep inside him, each time he had felt that terrible flame of despair lick at his heart.

Anakin felt tears stinging his eyes, as the incredible wave of joy and emotion swept over him as he gazed deeply into her beautiful brown eyes; he took several quick, deep breaths, as he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips tightly against her hand. "Padmé," he whispered softly, as he opened his tear filled eyes and looked back at her.

Padmé could feel the overwhelming wave of love and emotions that swept over him, as he leaned close to her. She placed her hand gently on his cheek, as she watched him try to speak as the tears welled up in his bright, blue eyes.

"Don't cry, Ani," Padmé said softly, as she gently wiped away the tear that stood on his cheek with her thumb. "Everything's going to be okay."

Padmé closed her eyes as Anakin quietly laid his head on her chest and wrapped his arms around her, as gently but snugly as he could. She felt her heart ache, as she heard his soft, broken voice, as he finally managed to speak. "I thought I'd lost you," Anakin whispered, his voice trembling.

"Not hardly," Padmé said softly, as she felt her own heart pounding in her chest as the incredible wave of emotions swept over them both. She held him tightly, stroking his long hair comfortingly as she felt him begin to sob softly in her arms. "You couldn't lose me, Ani," she said softly. "You were holding me way too tightly for that to happen."

He had been through so much, since this terrible ordeal had begun, and he had been there for her through it all. The events of the past few days flashed through her mind, as she held his trembling body close to hers.

Anakin had been her strength, through everything that they had been through together in the past few days; his courage had brought him, and Obi-Wan, safely through their ordeal on the _Invisible Hand. _He had seen his friends and mentors killed, by a man that he once trusted and a genetic abomination that had been created from his own body. After Vader had attacked her, he had ignored his own pain and agony, when he had carried her out of that dark, terrible cave on Mustafar to safety.

Anakin's own body had screamed at him in pain as he had held her, encouraged her, and comforted her through the pain and agony of the premature birth of their children. She opened her tear-filled eyes, and glanced around the room; she didn't know where she was, what had happened to her since she'd been here, or how she had even gotten here, but it didn't matter; she had sensed his love and presence through it all, and she knew in her heart that he had been right here, at her side, through every painful moment of it.

She felt the tear that trickled onto her cheek, as she squeezed her eyes shut and held him as tightly as she could. He had given so much since this terrible ordeal had begun, so much more than any one person should ever have to give. It was time now, she thought to herself, far past time, for her to finally take care of him, just as he had cared for her.

"It's okay, baby," Padmé said softly, her own voice trembling as she felt him finally let go in the security of her arms. "I've got you," she said, gently stroking his hair as she felt his sobs grow stronger. "I love you so much, Anakin Skywalker," she said softly. "And I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

The soft sound of the raindrops striking the window began to fill the room as the rain began to fall again from the dark skies outside. They both clung to each other tightly in the dim light, their hearts beating together in perfect harmony as their love for each other gently began to wash away at least a part of the pain and heartache of the last few days, just like the rain that washed gently over the windows outside.

* * *

"So how are you feeling?" Obi-Wan asked, as he sat down carefully on the side of Padmé's bed near the window, reaching over and placing his hand gently on her arm. The relief they'd all felt when Anakin had come down the hallway a short time ago and given them the wonderful news that she was awake was still palpable in the room.

"I've been better," Padmé sighed, smiling back at Obi-Wan weakly. "Remember that gondark that you always say Anakin eats like?" she asked, as she took another long, slow breath, closing her eyes as she spoke.

"Yes," Obi-Wan grinned, as he watched her grimace and frown slightly, as she tried to lift herself, ever so slightly, in the bed.

"I think he ran over me," Padmé groaned, as she opened her eyes slowly and grinned back up at him.

Obi-Wan laughed quietly, as he turned to Anakin as he sat on the other side of her bed, holding her hand tightly. "Looks like her sense of humor's still intact," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin looked back at him with a weary grin.

"So how is she doing, Devon?" Bail asked, as he and Yoda stood quietly near the foot of her bed, watching as the tall, gray-skinned physician examined the sensor data carefully on the small display near her bedside.

Padmé glanced up at Devon as he studied the display for a long moment; she squeezed Anakin's hand tightly, gazing back at him fondly as he sat quietly at her side while Devon examined the display carefully. "All things considered," Devon stated matter-of-factly, as he tapped the controls on the display, his large, skilled eyes quickly scrolling through the data that streamed from the sensors attached to Padmé's body, "her recovery thus far is nothing short of remarkable."

"I believe," Devon said, smiling down at Padmé as he turned his attention to her, "that I can say that I am quite confident that she will make a full and complete recovery."

"Welcome news, indeed," Yoda said, rapping his cane soundly on the floor in front of him as he smiled widely and looked up over the foot of her bed toward Padmé's tired, but happy face.

The collective sigh of relief that filled the room around them was almost audible, as Padmé smiled up at Devon's large, round eyes. "Thank you, Devon," she said, nodding her head as he bowed his head politely toward her. "Thank you for everything that you've done," she said, shaking her head slowly. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you properly."

"No thanks are necessary," Devon Leesu said, bowing politely as he folded his hands in front of his long, silver robe. "It has been our great pleasure to be of assistance to you, and your children."

Devon glanced at Anakin for a moment, watching him as he sat quietly at Padmé's side. "On second thought," Devon said, turning his attention back to Padmé again and tilting his large, gray head slightly, "there is one thing that I can think of that you can do for me."

"What's that?" Padmé asked curiously, as she saw him glance over at Anakin again.

"Your husband is in serious need of medical attention, as I am sure you are aware," Devon said, as he watched Padmé look back at Anakin fondly. "He currently has at least three broken ribs, and I am quite sure that he has suffered some significant bruising and abrasions, judging from the amount of pain that he is in."

"He steadfastly refuses our attempts to assist him," Devon said, glancing quickly at Anakin as he looked up at him and raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

"His companions have attempted, unsuccessfully, to gain his cooperation for us several times," Devon continued, turning his large, round eyes back to Padmé again. "Perhaps you could persuade him to let us help him?"

Obi-Wan smiled, as he watched Padmé looked at Anakin fondly. "Consider it done," she said, as she squeezed Anakin's hand tightly. "He won't give you any more trouble," she said, as she reached up and placed her hand gently on his cheek. "I promise."

"Excellent," Devon exclaimed excitedly, clasping his hands triumphantly as he watched Anakin sigh and smile at Padmé weakly. "I will escort him to the trauma examination room immediately."

"That's not fair," Anakin sighed, as he felt her gently caress his cheek. "You're cheating."

"Ani," Padmé said softly, "You're hurting, and I hurt when you hurt. Let them help you," she nodded. "Please."

"I'll be fine," Padmé said, as she glanced up and noticed Bail and Yoda smiling at her. "Bail, Master Yoda, and Master Obi-Wan will take good care of me while you're gone. You know that."

"You have our word," Bail said with a nod, as Anakin turned and looked up at him.

"Go," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head toward Devon as he looked at Anakin with a grin. "Before Padmé tells me to throw you over my shoulder and carry you."

"And you know I can," Obi-Wan said, cocking one eyebrow slyly as he watched Anakin take a deep, painful breath and exhale slowly.

"It's still not fair," Anakin said with a resigned smirk, as he looked back at his wife again. "Three against one isn't fair odds."

"Three?" Yoda said gruffly, as Anakin turned and looked back at him. "Hmmmph," he snorted, as he looked over at Obi-Wan slyly. "Miscounted, your old padawan has, Obi-Wan," he said, as he cocked his small head and looked back at Anakin with a wry grin.

"Okay, okay," Anakin sighed, shaking his head; he knew when he was hopelessly outnumbered, so he leaned forward and kissed Padmé gently. "Are you sure you'll be all right?" he asked quietly, as he placed his hand gently on her cheek.

"Absolutely," Padmé said softly, as she pulled him to her and kissed him again, softly. "Now go," she said, as she nodded her head toward Devon. "The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back to me."

Padmé winced, as she watched Devon place his long-fingered hands gently on Anakin's shoulders and help him up to his feet; she could feel the pain that coursed through his body, and see the look of deep pain that shot across his tired, weary face as he stood up, slowly and painfully, holding his chest tightly.

"Please take good care of him, Devon," Padmé said, as the tall physician turned and nodded his head slowly.

"We will," Devon said with a confident nod, as he guided Anakin toward the door. "I assure you."

Obi-Wan watched, along with the others, with a sense of profound relief as Anakin walked slowly through the doorway and down the long hall, with Devon's long, thin fingers resting gently on his shoulder as he walked.

"It's about time," Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked back at Padmé, shaking his head. "I'll never know how he managed to last this long."

Padmé smiled, as she felt Anakin's strong, soothing tremor deep in her heart. "I do, Master Kenobi," she said quietly, as she relaxed and leaned back against her pillow, watching as he rounded the corner at the far end of the hallway, as Devon led him to the examination room. She closed her eyes for a moment, stretching out with her feelings, and she sighed, deeply, as she felt his heart touch hers, as clearly and strongly as it ever had.

"I do," she said again, very softly, as she opened her eyes and smiled back at Obi-Wan once more.

* * *

"Careful, Artoo," Threepio said, as he watched his little round companion extend his data probe and press the button on the console in front of him. "Are you absolutely certain that's the move you want to make?"

Bail smiled, as he watched the little astrodroid swing his dome toward his tall, silver companion and respond with a long string of beeps, clicks and whistles.

"I'll never understand your strategies, Artoo," Threepio said, waving his arms disgustedly as he watched the tiny, holographic creature scramble across the round, checkered game surface. "I don't know why Senator Organa is even bothering to play with you."

"Don't be too hard on him, Threepio," Bail said, as he studied the game surface carefully. "I've only played this game two or three times before, myself," he said, as he reached over and pressed the control pad on his side of the small round console. "Although I must say, I do enjoy it immensely."

Artoo and Threepio watched, as the tiny figure on Bail's side of the board strode quickly across the board and, with a tiny shriek, swung the staff in its hands, quickly striking down the creature that Artoo had just moved, sending it to the board with a mournful cry.

"There, you see, Artoo?" Threepio said, waving his arms disgustedly again as Bail leaned back and laughed heartily, reaching over and picking up the cup that sat on the table next to him. "I told you that was a terrible move."

Yoda chuckled to himself, as he watched Artoo spin his dome around quickly and give Threepio what could only be described as an electronic raspberry. He looked up from his seat, as he saw the door behind the couch where Bail sat open slowly. He nodded his head at Bail, and he and Bail both turned their attention to Obi-Wan as he walked across the room toward his companions.

"How are they doing, Obi-Wan?" Bail asked, as he took another sip from his cup and watched as Obi-Wan, for all intensive purposes, flopped into the chair across from him next to Yoda.

"Padmé's sleeping, thankfully," Obi-Wan said with a deep sigh, nodding his head as Bail and Yoda listened intently. "I just checked on Anakin," he said, nodding his head. "He's got a few broken bones, and he's giving the medical droid a bit of trouble," he said, taking another deep breath, "but that's to be expected."

"I get the feeling that Anakin's not exactly a model patient," Bail chuckled, leaning back in his chair as Obi-Wan leaned his head back and yawned, deeply.

"Not hardly," Obi-Wan said, stretching hard as he leaned back in the chair again. "He never has been, either."

"He's definitely headstrong," Bail said with a nod, as he paused and took another sip from his cup as Yoda and Obi-Wan looked up at him. "He reminds me a lot of Padmé when she first came to the Senate."

"He has his moments," Obi-Wan sighed, nodding his head. "But he's nowhere near as headstrong as he was before he and Padmé were married," he said. "He's only that way now when it comes to things that concern her."

Obi-Wan smiled, as he looked back at Bail again. "As far as medical droids go," he said with a chuckle, "he just doesn't like them. At all."

"Well, truth be told," Bail said, looking up from his cup grin, "I don't care for them much, either, so I really can't blame him."

"So, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, leaning forward in his chair and folding his hands thoughtfully in front of him as he looked at the tiny Jedi master thoughtfully. "Things seem to be calming down, somewhat," he said, as he and Bail both turned their attention to him.

"We've got some quiet time for a while, I think, while they tend to Anakin," he said with a curious grin. "He suggested that now might be a good time for us to let you share some very interesting information with us about Padmé."

"Perhaps I should leave," Bail said politely, as he started to stand up. "This sounds like a matter that might be best discussed among yourselves."

"On the contrary," Obi-Wan said, as he reached over and placed his hand on Bail's arm and pressed him gently back down into his chair. "Anakin wanted you to hear this."

"As do I," Yoda said, looking at Bail and nodding his head firmly. "Trust you, implicitly, we do, Senator," he said, as Bail sat back down in his chair. "The will of the Force, it was, that you have become a part of all that has happened."

Bail and Obi-Wan watched, curiously, as Yoda reached down and pulled the small data disk from his belt again and held it up thoughtfully in front of them. "Four years ago, it was, that this began," Yoda said, looking at his companions as they listened to him intently. "Best it is, that we start at the beginning."

* * *

"Padmé?" Anakin said softly, as he placed his hand gently on her cheek as he sat down gently on the side of her bed. "Can you hear me?"

She took a long, deep breath, as she blinked her eyes and opened them slowly; she smiled, as she saw his face smiling back at her. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked, as she closed her eyes and yawned deeply.

"A couple of hours," Anakin said, as she opened her eyes and looked back up at him. "How do you feel?"

"A little sore, but I'll be fine," she said with a tired smile as she reached up and gently touched his cheek. "What about you?" she asked, her expression growing a bit more concerned as she dropped her hand to his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "How's are you feeling?"

"Better," Anakin said with a weak, tired grin. "They just finished mending my ribs a little while ago. They're ready to start the dermal generators now."

"Then what are you doing here?" Padmé sighed, as she shook her head slowly. "You're _supposed_ to be letting them help you."

"I am, don't worry," he said, nodding his head obediently. "I talked Devon's assistant into letting me come and see you for a few minutes before they started with the dermal generators," he grinned. "It's going to take a while, with all the bruises and cuts I've got, and I wanted to come and see you first."

"Well," Padmé sighed, "I guess I can forgive you then," she said, a warm smile spreading across her face as she gazed up at him. "Does it hurt?" she asked, as she squeezed his arm again tightly. "Open your shirt and let me see."

"It's not too bad right now," he said, shaking his head slowly. "It's really not much to look at."

"Open it," Padmé said, furrowing her brow as she looked back up at him. "I want to see how badly you were hurt."

"Honestly, it's not that bad," Anakin said, as he reached down and began to gingerly unbutton the chest of his tunic. "The pain medicine they gave me is working pretty well."

"See?" he said with a slightly painful, somewhat sheepish grin, as he pulled his tunic open so that she could see the damage that Vader's metal ingot had inflicted on his chest. "It's just a scrape."

"Oh, Ani," Padmé sighed; she winced, as she saw the angry scrapes and deep purple and black bruises that covered his body, stretching all the way from his stomach to his shoulders. "Are you sure you're okay? That looks terrible."

Don't worry," he said, shaking head slowly. "I'll be fine." He smiled down at her, as she watched him begin to fasten the buttons on his tunic again. "It looks a lot worse than it actually is, I promise."

"How many ribs did you have broken?" Padmé asked, as she watched his slow, measured movements.

"Five," Anakin said quietly, looking up at her sheepishly. "Three on one side, two on the other."

"Five?" she exclaimed, as she reached out and helped him fasten one of the buttons on his tunic. "You carried me out of that cavern with five broken ribs?"

Padmé sighed deeply and watched him for a long moment, as he slowly and painfully fastened the last two buttons, and then she reached out and took his hand again gently as he took a deep breath and turned his eyes back toward her.

"It wouldn't have mattered if they'd all been broken," Anakin said softly, as he smiled back at her. "I'd have still carried you."

"Anakin Skywalker," Padmé sighed, gazing back at him fondly as she gently caressed his cheek. "What am I going to do with you?"

Anakin smiled at her for a long moment, and then he turned and looked at the two tiny babies that lay in the small bassinet near Padmé's bed, as he saw Luke's tiny arms begin to move under the soft, thick blanket.

"How are our little ones?" he asked, reaching over and gently pushing the blanket back so that he could see his tiny face better; he smiled, as he saw Luke's bright blue eyes looking up at him.

"They're just fine," Padmé sighed, squeezing Anakin's hand tightly as she watched him gaze fondly at their newborn son. "They brought them in to me just about an hour ago," she said, as he looked back at her. "They said that I should be well enough to start feeding them, the next time they get hungry."

"Already?" Anakin asked, a slightly worried look on his face as he squeezed her hand tightly. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Ready or not," Padmé sighed, shaking her head slowly, "I'm their mother."

"Leia's sleeping," she said, turning her attenDevon back to the bassinet again; her smile brightened in concert with Anakin's, as they watched Luke wiggle under the thick, soft blanket that was tucked securely around him.

"I think your son is awake," Anakin grinned, as he reached over and gently touched Luke's tiny hand.

"Hand him to me, Ani," Padmé nodded, squeezing Anakin's hand tightly. "Please. I want to hold him."

Anakin grinned back at her, then nodded his head. "Okay," he said quietly, as he reached over and gently brushed his hand through the thick, brown hair that hung at her shoulders. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yes," Padmé said softly. "I'm sure."

She smiled, as she watched him stand up and, very gently, reach down into the bassinet; Anakin stood up, slowly, a bright smile on his face, as he cradled the small, wiggling bundle gently in the crook of his arm.

"He's a little hard to hang on to, when he's awake," Anakin chuckled, as he sat down slowly again on the bunk; he looked over at Padmé, watching her fondly as he saw the happiness that spread across her face as she reached over and gently pushed the blanket that he was wrapped in to the side so that she could see him better.

"He is moving a lot, isn't he?" Padmé laughed softly, as she watched his tiny hands open and close quickly as Anakin placed the tiny, wriggling baby boy carefully into her arms.

"There's your mother, Luke," Anakin sighed, gently placing his hand on his son's tiny forehead as he watched Padmé cuddle him close to her.

"He's so beautiful," Padmé said softly, shaking her head with wonder, watching her newborn son as he blinked his eyes and gazed up at her as he wiggled in her arms.

"And he's strong, too," she laughed, looking back up at Anakin with a bright smile as she felt Luke wrap his small fingers around her own and squeeze it tightly.

"I know he is," Anakin nodded, as he looked back down and watched Padmé wiggle her finger gently and touch his tiny lips softly as Luke clung tightly to it. "So is his sister," he said, as Padmé smiled back up at him again. "I got to hold them both for a little while when we were on our way here aboard the _Falcon."_

"Oops," Padmé said, as she looked back at Luke, just as he pulled the tip of her finger into his mouth. "It looks like somebody really is hungry, aren't you?"

"But what else could you be?" Padmé sighed, shaking her head slowly. "I mean, look at who your father is, after all. He's hungry all the time."

"Bail said we had some rations in the crew cabin," Anakin winked slyly, as Padmé lifted her eyebrow and smiled coyly up at him. "I could run out to the ship and get him something."

"I don't think so, my love," Padmé laughed, as she looked back down at Luke fondly. "I think I'm supposed to take care of that right now. The rations come later," she said with a nod, looking back up at Anakin. "Much later."

"So," Anakin sighed, as he slid closer to her, as she gazed at the tiny baby boy in her arms, "How, exactly, does all of that work?"

"I haven't got a clue," Padmé said softly, smiling back up at Anakin and shaking her head slowly as he watched her. "I mean, I know how things are supposed to _work," _she said. "But I don't really know how to get him to eat. Mom and I never really talked about all of this. I meant to, but they just got here a lot sooner than we thought they would."

Padmé glanced back down at Luke, as he pushed her finger away from him and began to cry, softly.

Anakin looked at his son, as he began to cry and whimper softly in his mother's arms. "I think it's time to try," Anakin said, looking back at Padmé's apprehensive face. "Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked again, placing his hand gently on hers.

"Yes," she sighed quietly, nodding her head as she looked up at him. "But I'm going to need a little help," she said, slowly raising her knees and cradling her newborn son carefully in her lap.

"Be careful," Anakin said, as he leaned close to her and began to carefully unbutton the top of her gown. "Just lay still," he nodded. "Let me help you."

Padmé closed her eyes and grimaced, slightly, as she shrugged her shoulder carefully and helped Anakin push the thin, white gown off of her shoulder, and then he leaned close and watched as Padmé gently picked Luke up in her arms and, a little apprehensively, placed him close to her chest.

Anakin smiled, as he felt the intoxicating mixture of apprehension, amazement, and love that overtook her as she watched their newborn son place his tiny hands on her chest as she cuddled him close to her, letting her own instincts take control as he followed his own.

Padmé looked up at Anakin with a smile, as Luke's muffled cries suddenly stopped; she looked at him for a long quiet moment, watching him as he gazed at their son with a wondrous smile.

"Looks to me like he knows just what to do," Anakin grinned back at her; she leaned slowly back against the soft pillow behind her, sighing deeply as she gazed down at Luke, cradling him lovingly in her arms.

"It's all so amazing," Padmé said softly, looking back up at Anakin with a radiant smile, as he slid closer to her. "It's really happened, Ani," she said, her eyes shining brightly as he reached up and placed his hand gently on her cheek.

"We're all here," Padmé said, as Anakin nodded his head slowly, holding her gaze with his own. "We're a family."

"Yes, we are," Anakin said softly, as his eyes searched hers for a long moment. "I love you, Padmé," he whispered, as he gazed at her lovingly for a long, quiet moment. "So much."

"I love you, Ani," Padmé said softly, and she closed her eyes as Anakin leaned down and kissed her tenderly for a long moment.

Their lips parted, and Padmé looked down as Anakin gently stroked Luke's tiny arm as he nursed at his mother's breast. She looked back up at him, and then leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"You'd better get back, or they're going to come looking for you," Padmé sighed, as Anakin looked back up at her. "Or else Devon's going to think I didn't hold up my end of the bargain."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Anakin asked, looking back down at his son again for a long moment.

"Oh, yes," she said, nodding her head as she settled back into the pillow behind her, cuddling her nursing son close to her chest. "We'll see you as soon as you get back," she sighed, as she looked back down at Luke lovingly. "Won't we, Luke?"

Anakin sighed contentedly as he stood up and squeezed her hand tightly, and then turned and started toward the doorway.

Padmé smiled, as she watched him approach the narrow, arching doorway. "Hurry back, Daddy," she said softly, watching him as he turned and looked back at her once more. "We'll be waiting for you."

Anakin sighed again, as he watched her look down and brush Luke's fine blond hair from his face as he clung tightly to her. "I will," he sighed happily, as he looked at his beautiful wife and children again for a long moment. "I promise."

He turned around and, taking another long, contented breath, he walked, somewhat slowly and painfully, back down the hallway, where Devon's assistant waited patiently for him, the dermal generation units in his long, thin-fingered hands.


	17. A Tremor in the Darkness

_**Chapter 17: A Tremor In The Darkness**_

Bail took a long, thirsty sip of the cool glass of water that he held in his hand; he took a long, deep breath, running his fingers through his thick, dark hair, as he stood near the window, looking out over the heart of Il' Bru'ndadja, one of the largest cities on this watery world of Deyer.

The large, orange sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, and Bail watched it as it sent a shimmering cascade of orange and gold hues rippling across the surface of the bay that lapped at the city's outer boundaries; it reminded him of his home planet of Alderaan, in some ways, as he looked at the thick, misty clouds that covered the city, the tall, smoothly domed buildings that covered the city's skyline disappearing and reappearing in the late evening sky, as the thick banks of silvery, shimmering mists rolled slowly past them.

He sighed, deeply, as he reflected for a moment on the terrible events of the last few days; it had been a long, trying ordeal, both physically and emotionally, for all of them, and they were all beginning to feel the effects, in their bodies as well as their hearts.

Bail looked down thoughtfully at the cup in his hand, turning it slowly as he looked far beyond it; everything had changed, in the most unimaginable of ways, and things would never be the same again. He wished, with all of his heart, that he could speak to his constituents in the Senate and find out what had transpired since he had left the Senate that fateful afternoon, but he knew that that was all but impossible.

He knew enough, anyway, as he sighed deeply; the Republic that he had known and served for so long was changed forever, just as their own lives had been, and they would never be the same again. He took a long, deep breath, as he took another sip of the cool water from his glass, and then he turned around slowly from the window as he heard Obi-Wan's voice behind him.

Bail walked over and took a seat on the couch beside him, watching him as he shook his head and looked at the display pad in his hands, scrolling slowly through the test results on the small, translucent disk that Yoda had given him.

"This is amazing, Master," Obi-Wan said, as he glanced back up at Yoda's thoughtful face. "And you said that you first tested her two years ago?"

"Three," Yoda said, his long ears wiggling as he nodded his small head. "Married a year, they had been, when Anakin first brought her to me and requested that I test her."

"So, if I understand you correctly," Bail said, as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the two Jedi Knights with him thoughtfully, "Padmé has the same skills and abilities that any other Jedi has?"

"For the most part, yes," Yoda said, nodding his head again as he watched Obi-Wan continue to scroll through Padmé's test results. "Only different, her midichlorian count is."

"And it's the midichlorian count that determines how strongly and effectively a Jedi can command and control the Force, correct?" Bail asked, curiously; he found all of this, everything about it, fascinatingly interesting.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, his eyes still fixed intently on the display in his hands. "Well," he said, looking up from the display, furrowing his brow a bit, "Maybe a better way to say it is that the concentration is an _indicator _of someone's innate abilities_,"_ he said, looking over at Bail. "For example, there are people who go their entire lives with exceptionally high midichlorian counts who never even realize that the Force exists."

"But you say that Padmé's count is higher than most, yet not high enough to account for the level of her abilities," Bail said, watching as Obi-Wan nodded his head.

"That's right," Obi-Wan said, as he scrolled quickly back up through the data on the pad in his hands. "See, look here," he said, leaning forward and turning the pad so that Bail could see Padmé's test results. "Padmé's midichlorian count is four thousand, seven hundred," he said, pointing to the blood test results on the small display in his hand.

"That's about four times the average concentration," Obi-Wan said, as Bail studied the test results in front of him closely. "It's high, but not nearly high enough to account for the rest of these test results."

"Padmé scored perfectly on the image association test," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head in amazement again as he called up the rest of her results. "She'd need a midichlorian count of over ten thousand to be able to score that high."

"So what you're saying is," Bail said, nodding his head slowly, "is that her bond with Anakin somehow accentuates her natural abilities."

"I don't know exactly how it works," Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head slowly and smiling at Bail as he looked at him. "But after watching them together, through all of this," he said, nodding his head as he leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, "I'm beginning to understand why."

"Took on some of Anakin's abilities, she did, that day in Dooku's hangar," Yoda said quietly, as Obi-Wan and Bail listened to him intently. "Just as Anakin took on some of hers."

"The love that binds them, the key to this mystery is," Yoda said, nodding his head slowly. "Her source of strength, Anakin is," he said, as his companions looked at him thoughtfully. "And she, his."

"So how long has Anakin been actively training her?" Obi-Wan asked, turning his inquisitive face back up toward the tiny Jedi master who sat in the chair beside him.

"Two years, now," Yoda said, as he leaned back in his chair and picked up his small cane, turning it over thoughtfully in his tiny, weathered hands.

"And how far has she progressed?" Obi-Wan asked, as he glanced over and handed the display pad to Bail, watching him as he leaned back in his own chair, studying the small display with rapt attention.

"Progressed quickly, she has," Yoda said, looking back at Obi-Wan's attentive face. "Ready to begin her saber training, she was, almost a year ago," he said, slightly amused by the look of utter amazement that spread across Obi-Wan's face. "Instructed Anakin to begin her weapons training, I did, when I last tested her."

"You're joking," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head in disbelief. "She's ready for full on saber training, in only two years?"

"Past ready, she is," Yoda said, looking back down at his cane again thoughtfully. "Postponed it, Anakin and I did, when we learned of her pregnancy." Yoda sighed, deeply, as he looked back up at Obi-Wan. "No hurry, we thought there was, at the time."

"What about her Force sensitivity?" Obi-Wan asked, leaning closer to Yoda as Bail looked up from the display in his hands and listened intently. "Did you test her progress, just like the other padawans?"

"Yes," Yoda said, nodding his head firmly. "Tested her, every three months, I did, as Anakin trained her," he said. "Doubled the frequency of the tests, I did as well, considering her age."

"You mentioned her age before," Bail said, lowering the display in his hands to his lap as Yoda and Obi-Wan looked back at his curious face. "I don't quite understand. Why, exactly, would her age be a problem?"

"As a person grows, they're shaped by the events in their lives," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention toward Bail again. "Over time, we learn certain responses to specific emotions," he said. "Once we learn these responses, they become instinctive, and it's incredibly difficult to unlearn them."

"On negative emotions, the Dark Side feeds," Yoda said, as Bail listened with rapt attention. "Anger, fear, aggression," he said. "All of these, and others, can lead to the Dark Side."

"It's dangerous to train someone in the ways of the Force after they've developed their own reaction patterns to these emotions," Obi-Wan said, reaching up and brushing his hand thoughtfully over his beard. "If they're tempted by the Dark Side, and they succumb to that temptation, then its influence can destroy them, and everyone around them."

Obi-Wan looked back at Yoda for a long, thoughtful moment, as they both reflected, painfully, on the terrible events of the past few days. "Just as it did Count Dooku," he said finally, watching as Yoda nodded his head sadly, and turned his eyes back down toward the cane in his hands.

Bail sighed deeply, as he looked at Obi-Wan and Yoda's sorrowful faces; he was beginning to understand just how costly Dooku's betrayal had been.

"Did you sense any of the Dark Side's influence, when you tested her?" Obi-Wan asked quietly after a long moment.

"No," Yoda said, shaking his head firmly. "None, whatsoever. Calm and peaceful, Padmé's spirit is, now," he said, looking back up at Bail and Obi-Wan again. "As calm as any that I have ever felt."

"So she truly is ready for the next level of training," Obi-Wan said quietly, leaning back in his chair and sighing, deeply. "And you and Anakin plan to fully train her as a Jedi, don't you?" he asked after a long pause, looking back at Yoda again.

Bail watched with rapt attention, as Yoda nodded his head again slowly. "Some question, there was, as to how far we would take her training," he said, looking back up at his companions thoughtfully. "Our original goal, it was, to provide her with only that which she needed to understand the will and guidance of the Force."

Yoda sighed, as he took a long, deep breath. "Yet now, with all that has happened," he said, shaking his head sorrowfully, "no choice we have, I fear, except to complete her training, and equip her with the skills she will need."

"So," Bail said, watching as Yoda and Obi-Wan turned their attention toward him, "Padmé will become a Jedi," he said, leaning back in his own chair slowly as he spoke. "Just like Anakin."

"Up to her, that decision will be, ultimately," Yoda said with a nod. "But yes, if she chooses to be. And a powerful one, I feel, she will become," he said. "Just like her husband."

They all sat quietly for a long moment, until Yoda finally turned his attention back to Obi-Wan again. "The samples from the younglings," Yoda said, quietly. "Given them to you yet, Anakin has?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, taking a deep breath as he turned his attention back to Yoda from his thoughts and reached down to the small compartment on his belt. "I have them right here."

Bail watched, with keen interest, as Obi-Wan produced two tiny crimson vials from his belt, and then turned toward him and extended his hand.

"So those are blood samples from the children, then," Bail said, as he handed the small datapad back to Obi-Wan, watching him as he placed it in his lap, and then reached down and produced a small, cylindrical device from another compartment on his belt.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he quickly snapped the device into a slot on the top of the datapad. "Anakin had Devon's staff retrieve them when they were examining them a short while ago."

Bail and Yoda watched, with rapt attention, as Obi-Wan took the first small vial and snapped its silicone-covered end into the device atop the datapad. "This is Luke's," he said, as he quickly tapped the display on the datapad, calling up the test program. They all watched and waited, in silence, as the tiny device began to hum softly.

"So I'm assuming that this will tell you the children's midichlorian count," Bail said, as Obi-Wan nodded his head and looked back at him.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "It's standard practice, whenever we test a child that we think may be Force sensitive."

Bail watched, as Obi-Wan looked back at the display in his hands as he heard several tones as the test process completed. His brow furrowed, as he saw the deep frown that crossed Obi-Wan's face as he studied the results in silence for a long moment.

"What is it?" Bail asked, as he and Yoda looked at Obi-Wan intently, watching him as he tapped the datapad quickly, and the small device atop his datapad began to hum softly again.

"I'm just double checking to make sure these numbers are right," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head slowly. "Give me one more minute."

Bail and Yoda looked at each other, curiously, as Obi-Wan studied the display in front of him intently. They both turned their eyes back toward him again, as they heard the tone as the test completed a second time.

"It's correct," Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked at the display in his hands. "I've tested Luke's midichlorian count twice, and I got the same numbers both times."

"So what's the count?" Bail asked, as he watched Obi-Wan study the display, shaking his head slowly.

"Fourteen thousand, five hundred," Obi-Wan said, glancing up to the utter amazement that spread over Yoda and Bail's faces as they looked at each other in stunned silence. "Almost as high as Master Yoda," he said, as he reached up and removed Luke's sample from the small test device atop his datapad.

"That's incredible," Bail said, leaning back in his chair and watching Yoda as the tiny Jedi master looked down at his cane again, deeply thoughtful. "That's almost three times has high as his mother's."

"Let's see what his sister's is," Obi-Wan said, as he quickly popped Leia's sample vial into the tiny device and tapped the display in his hands, looking over at Bail with a sly grin as he heard the small device begin to hum again.

"I don't know anything about the Force, and I don't pretend to, beyond what you've both told me," Bail said, shaking his head as his two companions looked at him, "but I do know quite a bit about human biology," he said. "Children usually share the traits of their parents," he said, folding his hands thoughtfully in front of him as he leaned forward in his chair.

"If Luke's count is that high, and Padmé's is just under five thousand," Bail asked, looking back up at Obi-Wan curiously, "then just how high _is_ Anakin's?"

Obi-Wan glanced over at Yoda, watching him as Yoda nodded his head, slowly. Bail leaned back in his chair, stunned and taken back by Obi-Wan's answer, as he turned his attention back toward him again.

"Twenty seven thousand, seven hundred," Obi-Wan stated, quite matter-of-factly, glancing back down at the datapad as he heard the tones as the test completed again. "The highest recorded count for any Jedi," Obi-Wan said, as he tapped the control pad and called up Leia's test results. "Ever."

"Fourteen thousand, five hundred," Obi-Wan said with a smile and a chuckle, shaking his head in amazement as he glanced back over at Yoda again. "Just like her brother."

Yoda took a long, deep breath; his brow furrowed deeply, as he heard Obi-Wan's test results confirm what he had already sensed aboard the _Millennium Falcon. _What troubled him most, as he looked up and watched Obi-Wan and Bail study the display in his friend's hand with keen interest, is the thought of who else, beside himself, might have sensed it as well.

They had some hard decisions to make, he thought to himself, as he looked back up at his companions; and they had to make them soon.

* * *

"Drop shields, and open the hangar bay," Commander Bartellow barked, turning around quickly and looking at the trooper that manned the bay controls behind him. "And have two battalions assemble on the hangar deck, to prepare for His Excellency's arrival."

"Yes, sir," the trooper replied, nodding obediently as he reached down and quickly dropped the _Interceptor's _main forward defense screens and activated the hangar bay doors.

Bartellow turned and watched out of the observation window behind him, looking out over the massive star destroyer's hangar bay; he saw the quick, brilliant blue flash as the environmental force field engaged, keeping out the cold vacuüm of space as the bay's bright yellow lights began to flash, as the outer doors began to slide slowly open.

He watched, somewhat apprehensively, as he saw the sleek, long-range shuttle pass through the stasis field with an electrostatic flash, and then settle slowly down on the hangar bay's cold metal decking. He turned around to the trooper behind him again, as he saw the two battalions of troopers that he had requested march quickly out onto the hangar deck, as the shuttle's engines began to whine slowly down.

"Advise the General that he is needed on the command deck, immediately," Bartellow said, turning and looking back out at the hangar deck again. "Emperor Palpatine's shuttle has just arrived."

* * *

"I want everyone except essential personnel cleared from the corridors that lead to the medical lab, immediately," he said, turning his cold, steel-hard face toward the young officer who stood at stiff attention near him. "Is that understood?"

"Understood clearly, General," the officer replied, nodding quickly, and then turning and walking briskly toward the communications console behind him.

The General turned and looked back out of the _Interceptor's _command deck windows; he took a deep breath, folding his arms rigidly behind his thin, gaunt form as he walked slowly across the command deck, his sharp, icy gray eyes quickly surveying the deck around him.

It had only been a few hours, since he had received the communiqué that his ship, the _Interceptor, _had been named the new flagship of the newly formed Imperial Navy, not long after he had been ordered, by newly appointed Emperor Palpatine himself, to provide any and all assistance required to the transports that had arrived a short time before.

Palpatine hadn't told him anything beyond that; Commander Bartellow had ordered the corridors cleared before they arrived, and he had received no information from the ship's main medical lab since the mysterious, shrouded cargo had been unloaded from Bartellow's gunship and whisked in complete secrecy to the medical lab, along with an astounding array of equipment and supplies.

He turned and glanced around the deck behind him again; it made no difference, he thought to himself, what they were doing in the medical lab several decks below. He had assured the Emperor that all of his ship's resources would be at his disposal, and he had seen to it that they had been.

He turned around quickly, as he heard the high-pitched signal from the lift at the far end of the command deck, as it was summoned to the decks far below them. "I want everyone on this command deck at complete attention," the General snapped, his steel-cold eyes surveying his bridge staff as they stood up quickly and snapped to attention.

"Speak only when spoken too, and any mistakes will be dealt with in the harshest manner," he said, as he summoned his deck officer to his side. "Is that understood?"

He ran his hand quickly through his silver-gray hair, and then turned his attention toward the lift as he heard it lock into place and begin to open, slowly.

"Emperor on deck," the General snapped, as he and his staff stood at rigid attention as they saw Emperor Palpatine's dark, cloaked form step off the lift, his two red-cloaked guards trailing close behind him as he walked slowly toward him, his long black cloak swirling around him as he walked.

The General took a step forward, turning to face Palpatine's cloaked form directly. "Welcome aboard the _Interceptor_, Your Excellency," he said, bowing reverently and then snapping back to attention as Palpatine approached him. "You honor us, and your new flagship, with your presence."

"Thank you, General Tarkin," Emperor Palpatine replied, nodding his cloaked head slowly as he stopped, along with his guards, just short of Tarkin's tall, thin form. "Everything appears to be in good order," Palpatine said, as he glanced around the command deck, observing the bridge staff as they stood at rigid, motionless attention. Your reputation, it seems," Palpatine said, turning his attention back to Tarkin again, "is well-earned, indeed."

"I am honored, your Excellency," Tarkin replied, bowing humbly again.

"Has my staff been granted access to the medical lab as requested?" Emperor Palpatine asked, his hooded eyes glancing around the command deck again.

"Yes, your Excellency," Tarkin said, nodding his head firmly. "The ship's resources are at your, and your staff's disposal."

"Excellent," Palpatine said, turning and studying Tarkin for a long moment as he stood silently in front of him. "Have your staff set course to these coördinates," Palpatine said finally, handing a small datadisc to Tarkin as he turned his attention back toward him again.

General Tarkin raised his hand, motioning to the navigational offer that stood directly across from him. "Set course to these coördinates immediately," he said, as the nav officer took the disc from him and nodded obediently. "Maximum possible speed."

"Walk with me, Tarkin," Emperor Palpatine said, as he reached slowly into the pockets hidden in his long, black cloak. "You may accompany me to the medical lab."

General Tarkin glanced down, looking for a brief moment at the small, round holographic device that rested in the palm of the Emperor's hand. "There is something that we need to discuss," Palpatine said, as he watched Tarkin look curiously at the small, smooth device.

"Maintain operations," General Tarkin said, snapping his head around and looking at his bridge officer that stood by his side. "Contact me immediately if anything should arise."

"Yes, General," his officer replied, nodding briskly.

General Tarkin folded his hands behind his tall, thin frame again, as he walked alongside Palpatine as they started back toward the lift behind them. "I believe," Emperor Palpatine said, turning his hooded face toward Tarkin and smiling coldly, "that you will find this to be of particular interest."

Tarkin took the small device from Palpatine's extended hand, and looked at it curiously as the lift doors closed with a hiss in front of them.

* * *

Padmé looked over toward the chair in the corner of her room, as she sat on the side of her bed; she smiled, as she watched Anakin cradle Luke gently in the crook of his arm, watching him as he slept.

"Now," Devon said, as he turned his large, round eyes back toward her from the display in front of him, "if you'll just take several more deep breaths while I complete the final scan, we should be almost finished."

Anakin looked up from his sleeping son and watched as Padmé closed her eyes and took several long, deep breaths, exhaling slowly with each one as Devon's scanners beeped softly each time that she did.

"Excellent," Devon said, as he turned his eyes from the display back toward Padmé again and stepped close beside her. "The tear in your diaphragm appears to be completely repaired, along with the rest of your injuries," he said pleasantly, as he gently removed the sensors from Padmé's chest and back. "I believe that we can release you from our care without any fear of further complications."

"You will most likely continue to feel a bit of soreness and discomfort for a time, until your body has completed its own healing processes," Devon said, as he brushed Padmé's long hair back with his long, thin fingers and gently removed the last sensor from her neck. "I would simply recommend that you get plenty of rest and avoid overtiring yourself, if at all possible," he said, looking at her with a pleasant smile as she gingerly pulled her tunic up over her shoulders.

"Thank you, Devon," Padmé said, nodding her head and smiling up at the tall, gray-skinned physician as he placed the sensors on the tray beside the small display. "I don't think we'll ever be able to thank you enough for everything you've done for us."

"Again, no thanks are necessary," Devon said, folding his long, thin hands over his silver robe and turning toward Padmé, bowing politely. He watched, as Anakin stood up from the chair in the corner of the room and walk slowly over toward him. "It has been our great pleasure and privilege to assist you both."

Padmé looked up at Anakin, as he smiled at the tall physician, still cradling Luke carefully in his arm. "Thank you, Devon," Anakin said, reaching up and placing his hand on Devon's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Thank you for everything," he said, his expression becoming a bit more apologetic as he spoke. "And I'm sorry if I was a bit of a problem through all of this."

"You are most welcome, Master Skywalker," Devon said, bowing his head politely at Anakin. "And no apologies are necessary," he said, as he watched Anakin look back down at Luke again. "Your reaction, under the circumstances, was quite understandable."

"I believe that your companions are waiting for you in our receiving area," he said, as they both looked up at him. "We have arranged accommodations for all of you for the evening, not far from here. I hope you find them comfortable and pleasant."

"Thank you so much, Devon," Padmé replied, as she fastened the last button on her bright white tunic. "You don't know how much we appreciate all of this, and your kindness."

"I wish both of you a full life and much happiness with your new family," Devon said, glancing at both of them with a pleasant smile. "And a safe journey home tomorrow."

"Until next time, then," Devon said, bowing once more as he smiled pleasantly at the both of them. "Long life and prosperity to you both."

They both watched him, for a long moment, as the tall, thin physician turned and walked quietly out of the room and headed back down the long hallway.

"So," Anakin sighed, turning and looking at Padmé with a grin as she took a deep breath and placed her hands on the bed beside her. "You ready to get out of here?" he said, as he rocked Luke gently in his arms.

"Yes," Padmé said with a firm, happy nod as she reached up and gently pushed back the edge of the blanket; she looked at her son for a long moment, as he slept quietly in his father's arms. "You'd better believe I am," she said, softly, as she looked up at Anakin fondly.

She watched Anakin for a moment, as he walked over to the small bassinet and laid Luke gently down next to his sister. "How about that?" Anakin said quietly, standing up and looking back at her with a wide grin. "They're both asleep at the same time."

"If Sola's right," Padmé said with a soft laugh, "that's not going to happen very often."

Padmé's face suddenly grew more thoughtful, and Anakin looked up at her, as he knelt in the floor in front of her, taking one of her boots in his hand. "You know," he said, as he unfastened the buckles that ran down the side of her boot, "sometimes Threepio's annoying attention to details can be a good thing," he said, as he glanced up at her with a grin. "At least he remembered to get your extra clothes off the _Destiny _before they left it."

"What's wrong, Angel?" he asked, as he looked back up, watching her cup her hands over her face and sigh deeply.

"Sola," Padmé sighed, sliding her hands down her face and looking over the tops of her fingers at Anakin as he slipped her bright, white boots on her feet, one at a time. "Oh, Ani, with everything that's happened, I haven't even _thought _about how I left that night," she said, watching as he smiled and shook his head slowly as he gently fastened the buckles on the sides of her boots, tucking the legs of her pants into them neatly as he did so.

"Don't laugh, Ani," Padmé said, shaking her head with a frown as she heard him begin to chuckle softly as he secured the last few buckles on her boots. "It's not going to be funny when we get home," she sighed, as she looked at him sheepishly as he grinned up at her, his eyes twinkling brightly. "I'm going to be in _so_ much trouble. Sola will never speak to me again, and I don't even want to _think _about what Mom and Dad are going to say."

"You're not going to be in any trouble," Anakin said with a reassuring smile, his eyes sparkling brightly as he stood up and gently took her hands in his. "If you were worried about getting in trouble, you should've been worried about what _I_ was going to do to you when you came chasing after me like you did."

"But I know why you did it," Anakin said, gazing into her bright, brown eyes fondly as she smiled sheepishly up at him. "And you _did_ save my life, after all. So I guess I can forgive you."

"Promise?" Padmé said quietly, as she squeezed his hands tightly, looking up at him as she hung her head sheepishly. "I'm so sorry I put you through all of this, Ani," she said. "I could understand if you were very, very angry with me."

Anakin smiled at her softly, placing his hand gently under her chin and lifting her lovely face toward him. Padmé closed her eyes, and she sighed softly as he pressed his lips gently to hers and kissed her tenderly for a long moment.

"I guess that means you're not angry with me?" she said, opening her eyes and smiling at him as their lips parted.

"I think that's the general idea I was trying to convey," Anakin grinned, as he placed his hand gently on her cheek and caressed it softly. "And don't worry," he said, as she sighed deeply and gazed up at him. "We'll give Sola a call when we get settled in for the night and let her know you're okay," he nodded. "But I think we'll keep Luke and Leia a secret for now, till we get home."

"Okay," Padmé said with laugh; she closed her eyes again and placed her hand gently on his cheek, as Anakin leaned down and kissed her a second time.

"Besides," Anakin said, opening his eyes and grinning slyly at her as their lips parted, "They're insurance. Once they all see Luke and Leia, they'll be too excited to be angry with you, anyway."

Padmé laughed, as she closed her eyes and laid her forehead gently on his for a long moment. "I hope you're right," she said, opening her eyes and looking back up at him again.

"Of course I am," Anakin said, as he took her hands tightly in his again. "So, you ready to give it a try?"

"Yes," she said, nodding her head firmly. "Let's go find the others and get out of here. The sooner we leave," she sighed, "the sooner we can go home."

Anakin took a step back, holding her hands tightly as she gingerly slid forward off the bed onto her feet. "Careful, Angel," he said, steadying her as she stood up slowly. "Go slow, okay?"

"Okay," Padmé said, holding Anakin's hands tightly as she stood up straight; she took a long, deep breath, as she stood there for a moment, letting herself get used to the strange sensation of standing up on her own again; it seemed like an eternity since she had done so.

"How do you feel?" Anakin asked, as she looked at him with an apprehensive smile.

"Pretty good," she said, nodding her head as she took another deep breath. "I'm a little sore, but, all in all, I feel pretty good."

Padmé smiled brightly, as she looked down toward the floor. "How about that?" she said, looking back up at Anakin with a wide grin. "I can see my boots again!"

Padmé's eyes sparkled brightly, as Anakin began to laugh at her. "What?" she asked with a laugh, as she hugged him tightly as he placed his arms gently around her and pulled her close to him.

"I love you," Anakin laughed, as he held her close and kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, Angel," he said, as he turned around and took hold of the hover chair that sat quietly near the wall and pulled it toward them. "Let's take our family and get out of here."

Anakin held Padmé's hands tightly, as he helped her sit down in the small, faintly humming chair. She took a deep breath and smiled as she brushed her long hair back over her shoulder, watching Anakin as he walked over and, very gently, scooped Luke up into his arms.

"Let's see if we can do this without waking them up," Anakin whispered, as he leaned down and gently handed him to Padmé, watching her fondly as she cradled him lovingly in the crook of her left arm. He turned around and, just as gently, scooped up Leia in his arms.

Padmé laughed, softly, as she watched him stand motionless, smiling widely as he watched Leia twitch and coo several times as he moved her, and then fall silent again as she drifted back to sleep.

"She's a light sleeper," Anakin whispered, as he leaned down again and placed Leia gently into Padmé's other arm. He stood up and sighed, watching her as she leaned down and kissed Leia gently on her tiny forehead as she cuddled her two precious children close to her.

"You've got your hands full, Mom," Anakin sighed, as Padmé turned her beaming face back up toward him again. "You gonna be able to handle those two?"

"I've got someone very special to help me," Padmé said softly, her eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him fondly. "Someone very special, indeed, who loves me very much," she said, as she stretched out with her feelings and touched his strong, soothing tremor deep in her heart. "Almost as much as I love him."

She took a long, contented breath, as Anakin walked around behind her and placed his hands gently on the back of the chair. "Come on, Angel," Anakin said, leaning down and kissing her gently on the cheek. "Let's go home."

Anakin placed his hand gently on Padmé's shoulder, as he gave her chair a gentle push. He took a long, contented breath, watching her quietly as she cradled their sleeping children securely in her arms as they started slowly back down the long, white hallway toward the receiving area where Obi-Wan, Bail and Yoda waited for them.

* * *

The medical droid turned and watched, as the doors to the medlab slid open with a cold hiss; he watched, as Emperor Palpatine stepped through the doorway, surveying the lab quickly with his hooded eyes.

"Leave us," Palpatine said, turning to the two red-cloaked guards that followed closely behind him and General Tarkin.

Tarkin watched, as the two guards bowed silently and then walked back outside, taking their place on either side of the medlab doors as they slowly closed with another hiss. He glanced around the medlab, his eyes and mind marveling at the incredible array of equipment that had been brought on board his ship; he turned his eyes back toward Palpatine again, as he heard the Emperor's cold, unfeeling voice behind him.

"Give me a status report," Palpatine said, as he and General Tarkin turned their attention the medical droid that stood near them.

"The procedure is nearly complete, your Excellency," the droid's metallic, monotone voice replied. "We are beginning the final phase of the operation now."

"Good," Palpatine said, nodding his head slowly. "Will he be able to function normally when the procedure is complete?"

"Yes, your Excellency," the droid replied. "He will be dependent on the suit to maintain his biological functions," he said, his monotone voice almost as cool and unfeeling as Palpatine's, "but he should be completely self-sufficient. We are preparing to remove him from artificial life support and engage the suit's support systems now."

"Excellent," Palpatine said, nodding his head slowly again, as he glanced over at Tarkin, watching him as he glanced around the medlab curiously. "We wish to observe the last phase of the operation."

"Of course, your Excellency," the droid replied, as he turned and started back toward the far end of the medlab. "If you will follow me, we will begin the procedure."

"If the operation is successful," Palpatine said, as they followed along behind the droid in the dim light, "how long until you can release him?"

"No more than a few hours, your Excellency," the droid replied. "If he survives the final phase of the procedure."

Tarkin's eyes scanned the dimly lit medical lab, as they made their way along the narrow corridor and into the large, brightly lit operation chamber. He looked over, his eyes catching sight of the group of medical droids that milled about busily around the large, heavy table in the middle of the room; a myriad of pipes, tubes and wiring ran from an unimaginable array of monitors and equipment. He craned his neck, curiously, as he tried to catch a glimpse of the figure that lay on the table; all he could see was a mixture of pink flesh and black material, as the droids hovered over the table.

Tarkin turned his eyes back toward the droid near him, as he watched another turn from the table at the far side of the room and approach him. "Are the modifications to the breathing system complete?" the droid asked, as he looked at the device in the approaching droid's hand.

"Yes, commander," the droid replied, as he handed the device to the droid that stood near Palpatine and Tarkin. "We are awaiting your command to proceed."

Tarkin's brow furrowed, deeply, as he looked at the device as the droid turned it over, slowly in his metallic hands. It was a mask, or a part of one, at least, dark and sinister looking.

"Very well," the droid replied, handing the mysterious mask back to the droid that waited patiently in front of him. "Administer the atropine, and disengage the external life support systems."

"Come, General," Palpatine said, turning his hooded face toward Tarkin and looking at him with a cold, unfeeling smile. "This should prove quite interesting."

General Tarkin swallowed hard, as he walked slowly at Palpatine's side, toward the mysterious figure that lay on the table in front of them; he watched the droids, as they stepped to the side, clearing a path for him and the Emperor to approach the long, heavy table.

Tarkin grimaced, as he watched the droid at the head of the table place the sinister shell over the face of the individual that lay on the table in front of him. He wasn't sure which was worse; the face that he had seen a moment before, or the terrifying image that glared up at him as the droids fastened the horrific mask into place.

* * *

Padmé leaned back against the nest of soft, warm pillows that Anakin had tucked behind her; she looked up and smiled, as she saw him step out of the small bathroom, scrubbing his long, blond hair with the thick towel in his hand.

"Feel better?" she asked brightly, as she watched him lean against the narrow, arching door frame as he dried his hair.

"Much," he said with a deep sigh, as he lowered the towel and shook his head; she smiled at him, as she watched him brush his hair out of his eyes as he walked slowly over toward the bed where she lay.

"Well, you definitely look better," Padmé sighed, as he sat down gently on the side of the bed beside her. "Especially now that most of those bruises are gone," she said, as she reached over and placed her hand gently on his bare chest.

"How does it feel?" she asked, as she gently rubbed her hand on his chest as he smiled down at her.

"Absolutely wonderful," Anakin said, grinning broadly, as he reached up and pressed her hand gently to his chest. "Keep it up."

"I mean, your chest, silly," Padmé laughed, as she patted it gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Anakin said, nodding his head as he reached up and took her hand gently in his. "How about you?"

"I'm a little tired, and a bit sore," Padmé said with a weary smile. "But I'll be fine."

Padmé looked down and smiled, as Anakin reached over and gently brushed his hand over Leia's thick, dark hair. "Is she still nursing?" he asked softly, as he watched Padmé cuddle her close to her breast.

"No," she said, shaking her head softly, as she gazed down at her daughter lovingly. "She fell asleep a little while ago," she said, looking back up at Anakin with a contented smile. "I've just been holding her, and thinking about how beautiful they both are."

"She has her father's eyes," Padmé said, as she looked back down at her daughter again. "I was noticing that a little while ago, right before she fell asleep."

"I think they both look like you," Anakin sighed, as Padmé leaned her head back against the pillows behind her and smiled at him, sleepily. "They're both so beautiful," he said, as he squeezed her hand gently. "Just like their mother."

Anakin reached over and gently caressed her cheek. "You need to get some sleep," he said softly, as she closed her eyes and sighed, deeply. "They'll be up again in a few hours."

"Okay," she said softly, and she watched him as he gently scooped Leia's tiny, sleeping body from her arms, cradling her carefully in his own as he carried her to the small bassinet that stood a short distance from their bed.

She laughed, as she heard his voice, as he leaned down close over the bassinet and his two sleeping children. "Mom's really tired, you two," he whispered softly. "If you want to sleep a couple of extra hours, it's okay with us."

"I don't think it works that way, baby," Padmé laughed softly, as she snuggled down in the bed and watched him turn and grin at her sheepishly.

"Well, it's worth a try," he said, grinning back at her as he turned his attention back to his children again.

Padmé took a deep breath and sighed contentedly, as she watched him gaze at them both for a long moment; she reached up and quietly dabbed at the happy tear that stood in the corner of her eye, as she heard his soft voice again as he looked down at their two sleeping babies.

"Good night, Luke and Leia," Anakin whispered softly. "We love you both."

Padmé pulled back the covers beside her, as he turned around and walked quietly back to the bed and climbed in beside her. She tossed the covers up over him, as he snuggled down against the pillows behind him with a deep, contented sigh.

"Mmmmmm," Padmé sighed, closing her eyes contentedly as she felt his arm wrap tightly around her shoulders as she snuggled close beside him, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest. "You don't know how much I missed this."

"Yes, I do," Anakin said softly, as Padmé looked up and brought her face close to his. "Almost as much as I did," he whispered, as his eyes searched hers for a long, quiet moment.

"I know we did what we had too," Anakin whispered softly, as he reached up and caressed her cheek softly. "But if I had to go back," he said, shaking his head slowly, "I don't know that I could leave you again."

"You never left me, Ani," Padmé said softly, as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. "You were with me the whole time."

Padmé watched him, as he lay quietly for a long moment. "Padmé," Anakin asked softly, shaking his head slowly as he looked up at her again, "Did anything that we did make a difference?"

Padmé smiled at him, her eyes glistening brightly in the soft light of their bedroom. "Everything you do makes a difference, Ani," she said, as she gently stroked his long hair. "Just ask those children that you saved in the Temple, if you need proof."

"I know that a lot of terrible things have happened, since all of this started," she said, nodding her head gently as she looked down and took his hand tightly in hers. "But there were a lot of terrible things that _didn't _happen, because of what you and the others did."

"There's always hope, Ani," Padmé said softly, as she smiled back up at him and caressed his cheek gently. "Just go look at your children, if you ever need proof of that."

Anakin smiled, as he gazed deeply into her beautiful, brown eyes. "You always know how to make me feel better," he whispered softly.

Anakin closed his eyes, as Padmé pressed her lips tightly against his as they held each other for a long quiet moment.

Their lips parted, finally, and Anakin took a long, deep breath as he leaned back against the pillows behind him, as she laid her head gently on his chest and snuggled close to him.

"Good night, Padmé," Anakin said softly, as he held her tightly to his side. "I love you so much."

"I love you, Ani," Padmé sighed contentedly, as she reached up and kissed him on the cheek, and then laid her head back down gently on his chest and snuggled close beside him.

Anakin looked down at her, as he gently stroked her long, brown hair; he watched her, fondly, for a long moment, as he felt her breathing become slow and rhythmic as she quickly fell asleep at his side. He leaned down and kissed her gently and then, with a contented sigh, he raised his hand and, reaching into the Force, turned out the light.

* * *

He felt an incredible wave of panic sweep over him, as he slowly began to regain consciousness; the strange electrical impulses that traveled from his arms and legs only added to that panic, as the strange, mechanical hiss filled his ears. He tried to move, but he couldn't; he felt the panic begin to turn to fear, as he tried in vain to move his arms and legs.

He struggled harder, as he heard the sinister, rhythmic hiss again; it was all around him, echoing in his ears as it repeated itself, over and over again. He tried to open his eyes, but all he saw was darkness, and still, the terrible, rhythmic sound continued.

Through the wave of panic that swept over him, as he struggled to move, he began to hear voices; he struggled to focus his thoughts on them, as he tried to drown out the terrible, repetitive hiss that cycled, over and over, in his ears.

"Where am I?" he cried; he panicked again, as he heard the strange voice that echoed his plea. It wasn't his own, dark and sinister, yet it spoke each time that he tried to speak.

"What's going on?" he cried again, the dark, angry voice filling his ears as he struggled harder against the restraints that bound him. "What's happening to me!"

"Just lie still for a moment," he heard the monotone, mechanical voice reply, as the strange, methodical hiss continued to fill his ears. "Try to relax."

He blinked his eyes again, several times; still, all he saw was darkness. "Don't tell me to relax," he shouted angrily, as he continued to struggle against the restraints that bound him. "What's happening to me!"

"Is this reaction normal?" he heard a dark, cold voice ask; he stopped struggling, for just a moment, as he tried to focus on the familiar haunting voice.

"Yes," he heard the cold, monotone voice reply. "It is possible that it may require some time for him to adjust to his new environment."

"Master?" he asked, continuing to struggle frantically as he recognized Sidious' dark, sinister voice. "Master, is that you? What's happening to me?"

"Patience, Lord Vader," he heard his Master's voice reply, and he stopped struggling, for a moment, as he tried desperately to focus on that voice, as he tried to tune out the repetitive hiss that continued to echo around him. "You must attempt to calm yourself."

"Where am I?" he cried, the dark, angry voice echoing around him. "Why can't I see anything?"

"Your optical visor has not yet been activated," he heard the monotone voice answer in reply.

"What do you mean, my optical visor?" the strange, dark voice asked, as he started to struggle again. "What's going on?"

"Activate the visor," he heard Sidious' voice state, coldly.

Vader blinked his eyes, as he saw the bright flash in front of them; he watched, shocked and perplexed, as he saw the lights suspended directly over him as he lay on the table; it looked artificial, like an image on a computer display.

He felt himself begin to panic again, as his eyes saw, in the dim light of the displays in front of his eyes, the inside of the strange mask that covered his face.

"What's going on?" he heard the dark, sinister voice cry again, as he looked up and saw Darth Sidious' face as he stepped close to his side and looked down at him.

"Master, please," he pleaded, as he tried to move his arms and legs again. "Tell me what's happened to me."

"You were injured, Lord Vader," Sidious said, his hooded face flickering as the droid adjusted the optical sensors in the mask that covered Vader's face. "Quite seriously."

"Why won't my arms and legs move?" he asked, as his eyes glanced around the room above him.

"You are confined, for the moment," Sidious said, nodding his hooded head slowly. "For your own protection, until you get used to your new support system."

"Support system?" Vader asked, as he listened to the rhythmic hiss that continued, steadily, around him. He felt himself panic again, as he suddenly realized that the hiss coincided, perfectly, with the rise and fall of his chest, yet he couldn't feel himself breathing; something was breathing for him.

"Why do I need a support system?" he heard the dark voice cry again, as he continued to try to move his arms and legs; he could feel them, but they simply wouldn't move. "How long have I got to be in this thing?" he asked frantically, as he turned and looked, through the strange, electronic display in front of his eyes, at his master as he looked down at him.

"Forever," Sidious said, coldly, as he looked down at his apprentice; Vader felt an incredible wave of despair sweep over him, as he watched in horror as the droid next to his master picked up a prosthetic hand and, very smoothly, passed it over Vader's masked face to the droid that stood across from his master.

"NNNNOOOOOOOOO!" he heard the angry, dark voice scream, as he closed his eyes and lashed out, with every ounce of his being, as the incredible wave of hate, fear, and anger swept over him, as the methodical, mechanical hiss echoed, again and again, in his tortured ears.

* * *

Anakin's eyes snapped open, as he jerked his head from his pillow as the powerful, angry tremor traveled to him through the Force; his breath came in quick, ragged gasps, as he clutched Padmé close to his side as he glanced frantically around their room.

His breathing began to slow, somewhat, as he felt the horrible, tortured tremor begin to fade slowly. He looked down, as he felt Padmé stir at his side as she raised her head from his chest and looked up at him, worriedly.

"Ani?" she said, as she took a deep breath and looked at him sleepily. "What is it?" she asked, as she reached up and placed her hand gently on his cheek. "What's wrong?"

Anakin took a long, deep breath, struggling to calm himself as the terrible, horrifying tremor continued to fade slowly away. "Nothing," he said, as he shook his head and smiled sleepily down at her. "It's nothing," he said, as he gently squeezed her shoulder. "I thought I heard something."

"Are you sure?" she asked, blinking her eyes sleepily again.

"Yes," he said, nodding his head as he leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Everything's fine, baby," he said, watching her as she smiled back up at him. "Go back to sleep."

Anakin lay back against his pillow, wrapping his arm tightly around Padmé's shoulders as she laid her head on his chest and snuggled close to him again. He brushed his hand gently through her long, brown hair, gazing at her in the dim light that filtered through the window from the city outside as she drifted quickly back to sleep.

He took a long, deep breath as he glanced over toward the window, watching as the lights twinkled in the darkness; he slid down a bit farther in the bed, as he instinctively pulled Padmé a little closer to his side as he felt the echo of the dark, tortured tremor in the Force that flowed so strongly through him.

It couldn't be possible, he thought to himself; yet he knew, in his heart, where the terrible tremor that he had sensed had come from.

He glanced back down at Padmé, as she sighed contentedly and held him a little tighter. He took another long, deep breath, as he looked back up to the window again.

"Vader," he whispered softly, as he watched the raindrops begin to fall, gently, against the window as he heard the low rumble of thunder off in the distance.

* * *

Anakin opened his eyes, sleepily, as he heard the soft, small cry from the bassinet beside him. The morning sun was just beginning to filter through the clouds on the horizon, and he blinked his eyes several times in the soft, faint light that flowed in through the window at the far side of their room.

He yawned, deeply, as he glanced over at the small bassinet not far from him, and he smiled as he saw Leia's tiny hands appear, just for a moment, above the edge of it. He closed his eyes, yawning deeply again, as he slowly pulled himself up onto his elbows as he glanced at Padmé, as she slept beside him.

He leaned back on his elbows, smiling quietly as he watched her sleep; Padmé was usually a light sleeper, but the ordeal of the past several days appeared to have finally caught up with her. Anakin watched her for a long moment, reaching over and brushing her hair with his hand, very softly, as she lay curled on her side next to him, her arm tucked under her pillow as she slept.

Anakin turned and looked back toward the bassinet, as he heard Leia's soft cry again; he stood up slowly, being careful not to wake Padmé and, rubbing his face with his hand, sleepily, he stepped up next to the small bassinet.

"What's the matter, Leia?" he whispered softly, gazing down at his daughter as he reached down and scooped her wiggling body up gently in his arms. He smiled, as he felt her tiny hand touch his cheek as he cradled her gently in his arms.

"Are you hungry again, already?" he asked, as he walked quietly toward the chair near the window; he reached up with one hand, as he cradled her carefully in his arm, and pulled the curtains closed a bit. He looked back down at her with a smile, as he sat down quietly in the chair.

"And your mother thought your brother was going to be the one to eat like I do," Anakin whispered, as he gently brushed her fine, dark hair away from her forehead as she whimpered softly and blinked her eyes at him. "You only ate about two hours ago," he said, as he glanced down beside the chair to the small bag that rested beside it.

"Your mother's really tired, sweetheart," Anakin whispered, as he reached down and rummaged through the bag with his left hand, searching for the small feeder that Devon had given him shortly before they left the medical facility. "I think it might be time to give some of this a try," he said, as he continued to rummage through the bag. He found one of the feeders, in short order, and pulled it from the bag as he sat back in the chair and yawned deeply again.

It had been the last thing that Devon had done for Padmé before they had left the facility. Childbirth, especially with no anesthetic of any kind, was extremely hard on any woman; Padmé's ordeal had been even worse, with her injuries, and Devon had provided them with several small infant feeders and a generous supply of supplemental formula so that Anakin could help tend to their little ones while she recuperated. He glanced over at her for a moment, watching her as she slept; she had gotten up with him each time the children had awakened, during the night, lovingly tending to and nursing them both without so much as a whine or a whimper. It was time for her to get some rest, and he was determined to see that she did.

"Let's see if you and I can figure out how this thing is supposed to work," Anakin whispered softly, looking back at his daughter fondly as she squirmed in the crook of his arm.

Anakin pressed the tiny switch on the side of the feeder and shook it gently just as the tall, gray-skinned physician had shown him; he felt the small device begin to warm in his hand, as he watched the tiny red light blink next to his thumb.

"Looks like it's working," he grinned, watching as Leia blinked her eyes and looked up at him as the small feeder hummed softly, growing steadily warmer as he continued to shake it gently.

Anakin looked back at the feeder, as he heard the small beep as the tiny red indicator went out. "Looks like we're ready," he whispered, as he shook the device one last time, and then turned it up, bringing the small synthetic nipple closer to Leia's tiny face. "Now the only question is whether or not your dad knows how to do this," he said, as he looked at the feeder one last time and sighed, somewhat anxiously.

He rubbed the tiny nipple gently against her mouth, just as Tion had shown him; he smiled, as she suddenly opened her mouth and, with a tiny grunt or two, began to nurse contentedly.

"That must be pretty good stuff," Anakin whispered, looking down at his daughter with a grin as she nursed hungrily from the feeder in his hand, her tiny eyes gazing up at him. "I might have to try a little of this myself."

Anakin looked up, as he heard the soft giggle that came from the bed in front of him. He shook his head and sighed, as he saw Padmé's bright brown eyes sparkling at him as she lay on her side with her head on her pillow, gazing at him sleepily, a contented smile on her face.

"What are you doing awake?" he asked softly, as he watched her giggle again and snuggle down in the thick covers. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"I'm glad I'm not," she laughed softly, snuggling her cheek against her pillow as she watched him smile back at her. "I would have missed this."

"Missed what?" Anakin asked, as he looked back down and watched his daughter continue to nurse hungrily from the small, warm feeder. "Leia and I were just having a little quiet time, weren't we?" he said, watching her as she looked up at him; he smiled, as he felt a tiny tremor of wonder as those beautiful, small eyes gazed at him.

"Your mother needs to go back to sleep," Anakin said, turning his head slightly and winking at his wife. "We can't talk about her while she's watching us."

Padmé laughed softly as she watched Anakin turn his head and lean his ear closer to his daughter. "What's that?" he whispered, a deeply serious look spreading across his face as he strained as though he were listening to a faint, faraway voice. "Okay," he said, nodding his head and looking back at Leia as she continued to nurse contentedly. "I'll tell her."

"Your daughter says to tell you to go back to sleep," Anakin smiled, as he watched Padmé giggle again and close her eyes. "It's not time for you to be up, yet."

"She does, does she?" Padmé laughed softly, as she opened her eyes and gazed back at him fondly. "It does look like her daddy is taking very good care of her," she said, nodding her head gently as she snuggled close to her pillow. "I guess I should listen to her and go back to sleep, huh?"

"That's a great idea," Anakin grinned, nodding his head. "Now close your eyes and go back to sleep."

Anakin smiled, as he felt her heart touch his as she closed her eyes and took a long, contented breath. He closed his own, stretching out with his feelings toward her, as he held their daughter securely in his arms.

He smiled again, opening his eyes as he heard her soft voice. "I love you, too," she whispered quietly, and Anakin watched her for a moment as she closed her eyes and sighed deeply again.

"Now where were we?" Anakin whispered, as he turned his attention back to his daughter, snuggling back into the thickly padded chair as he watched her continue to nurse contentedly in his arms.

Padmé opened her sleepy eyes, just a little bit; she smiled, as she watched Anakin gaze, with the wonder of a child himself, at his newborn daughter as he cradled her in his arms. They sat quietly, father and daughter, their gaze transfixed on one another, as the early morning sun filtered softly through the curtains of their room.

* * *

Padmé closed her eyes and leaned back under the warm water as it rained down over her from the shower head above her; she ran her fingers through her long, thick hair as the soothing, warm water cascaded over her, taking a long, deep breath as her still tired and aching body thrilled to the simple, therapeutic joy of a long, hot shower.

She felt better today, in no small part due to Anakin's thoughtful tending of their little ones during the wee hours of the morning; his thoughtfulness and caring had allowed her to sleep for a blissful, uninterrupted four hours since the last time she had gotten up with them, and her tired, aching body had soaked up every sweet, peaceful moment of it.

She leaned forward a bit, letting the hot, soothing water run down her back; she reached up and wiped the water from her still tired and sleepy eyes with one hand, as she gingerly reached over and picked up the soft washcloth that hung near her with the other, along with the bar of soap that rested in the small slot beside it.

She closed her eyes and leaned her shoulder against the smooth tile wall, as she slowly soaped up the soft, thick washcloth. She placed the soap back in the slot, and she winced a bit, as she began to gently scrub the two incisions on the right side of her stomach; her midriff was still terribly sore, as she knew it would be, given the fact that she had just given birth a couple of days before, but the two bright pink stripes where Devon's medical staff had expertly fused her incisions back together had itched terribly the night before. Padmé sighed again, leaning her shoulder back against the wall as she gently scrubbed them under the warm, soothing water; it hurt a bit, but felt wonderful at the same time.

She opened her eyes, smiling as she heard Anakin's voice as he entered the small bath chamber. "Wow," Anakin said rather loudly, over the sound of the shower. "It's hot in here."

"I'm sorry, baby," Padmé replied, watching his shadow though the shower curtain as he quietly closed the door behind him. "I've been in here way too long, I know. I'll be out in just a minute."

She smiled, as she heard his cheerful voice. "That's okay. The babies are asleep, and we're not supposed to meet Obi-Wan and the others for another hour, yet," he said. "And I know that hot water feels good."

"It does," she sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head back under the hot, steaming torrent for another moment. "I don't remember a shower ever feeling quite this good."

She leaned back out from under the water, opening her eyes as she looked down and examined her very sore, still swollen stomach. She sighed, as she looked at it; even with all the advanced medical knowledge that Devon's staff possessed, some things in nature just took a little time to heal.

"My poor little tummy," she sighed pitifully, as she looked down and surveyed it carefully, looking at the long, pink incisions as she rubbed the washcloth gently over them. "It'll never look or feel the same again," she sighed.

Padmé looked up, just as she heard a familiar crunch. "I think your tummy's as beautiful as ever," she heard Anakin say with his mouth full, munching contentedly as he spoke.

"What are you eating?" Padmé asked with a curious grin, as she stopped scrubbing her stomach; she was hungrier than she remembered being in a long, long time, and she knew, from their four blissful years together, that if there was food to be found anywhere nearby, Anakin would find it.

Anakin leaned closer to the shower curtain, and bit down hard into the crisp, ripe apple in his hand, its sharp, inviting crunch echoing through the small bath chamber. "Why?" he asked, smiling as he chewed as loudly as he could. "Are you hungry?"

He laughed and jumped back a bit, as he saw her suddenly jerk the curtain open and stick her wet, curious face through the opening. "I'm starving," she said, looking at the apple in his hand with a ravenous smile as she caught sight of it.

Anakin laughed, as he held the apple up to her smiling face; she grabbed his wrist with her soapy hand, holding it tightly as she took a huge bite out of it. "Ohhhh," Padmé moaned, closing her eyes contentedly as the delicious taste of the ripe, juicy apple filled her mouth. "Where did you get that?" she asked, munching as contentedly as he had been just a second before as she opened her eyes and grinned back at him.

"I've been foraging," Anakin grinned slyly, as he turned the apple slowly in his hand, watching her as she took another couple of hungry bites. "I heard your stomach growling a little earlier while you were asleep," he said. "I thought I'd go and find you some breakfast. I've got a whole tray full of goodies out here for you."

"You wonderful, sweet, thoughtful, adorable man," Padmé said, as she leaned forward and kissed him playfully; he could taste the sweet flavor of the apple on her lips, as he opened his eyes and looked at her beaming face.

"Mmm, sweet kisses, indeed," he said, as he leaned forward to take another bite; he laughed out loud, as she tugged his arm toward her with her soapy hand, and, reaching through the curtain with the other, snatched the apple out of his hand.

"Uh-uh," she said, shaking her head as she grinned broadly at him. "Mine," she said, as she pulled her face back into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind her.

"This is a first," Anakin laughed, as he leaned back against the counter and picked up the small towel next to him. "I've brought you breakfast in bed before," he said, wiping his hand and arm with a grin as he heard her take another bite, "but never breakfast in the shower."

"I like it," he heard her reply, munching happily. "We're going to have to try this when we get home."

"I'm sure we can arrange that," Anakin chuckled, as he tossed the towel back onto the sink beside him and picked up the large, thick bath towel beside it. "Now come on," he said, as he unfolded the thick, soft towel and took a step closer to the shower. "Come on out of there and we'll eat some breakfast before the babies wake up."

"But it's warm in here," she whined, playfully. "Just a little longer."

Anakin grinned, slyly, as he draped the towel over his arm; "I have a pineapple," he said, softly.

He chuckled to himself, as she jerked the curtain open, looking at him with a disbelieving smirk. "You do not," she said, shaking her head as she peeked out at him, chewing slowly.

"Oh, but I do," he said, nodding his head with a sly grin. "Freshly cut," he said, raising two fingers up in front of her. "Two of them."

They were her one weakness, when it came to food; he knew he had her, as he saw the ravenous look on her face for only a split second as she disappeared back behind the shower curtain and shut the water off. He laughed, quite heartily, as she pulled the curtain open and smiled up at him, chewing happily as she held her apple in front of her smiling, dripping wet face.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, smiling coyly as she wrapped her arms around her dripping wet body and shivered playfully. "Bring that towel and help me out of here before I freeze."

Anakin laughed softly to himself, as he stepped close to her and wrapped the thick, soft towel around her and began to gently dry her off. "You're so cute," he said with a broad smile, as he gently wiped the water from her lovely, happy face. "Especially when you're wet."

Anakin's face suddenly grew more thoughtful, as he looked at her for a long moment. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" he said quietly, as he gently brushed her cheek with the edge of the towel.

"I was just wondering the same thing," Padmé smiled, gazing at him fondly as he gently wiped the water from her face.

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, and then looked back at her with a grin as she took another hungry bite from the apple in her hand. "Come on," he said, as he wrapped the towel around her snugly and helped out out of the shower. "Your breakfast is waiting."

* * *

"Good morning," Obi-Wan said cheerfully, placing the cup in his hand on the table in front of him; Yoda watched him, thoughtfully, as he stood up and walked quickly across the large, sunny sitting room as Anakin opened the tall, arching doorway that lead into the bright, dome-shaped room.

"Good morning, Master," Anakin replied, glancing over at Obi-Wan as he held the door open for Padmé, gently taking her by the arm as she stepped through the doorway and into the large sunlit room.

"How are you feeling this morning, Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked, as she looked up from the two little ones that she cradled carefully in her arms.

"Much better, Master Kenobi," Padmé smiled, nodding her head as she watched Anakin carry the thick blanket under his arm over and lay it on the large, thickly padded couch near the center of the room.

"And how are our little ones?" Obi-Wan asked, as he reached down and gently pushed the blanket aside, looking at Luke with a wide grin as he slept in his mother's arms.

"They're doing just fine," Padmé sighed, as she looked down at Luke, watching him as he slept peacefully. "They both slept better than we though they would last night, all things considered."

"Here," Anakin said, as he turned and walked back toward her. "Let me help you, Padmé," he said, reaching down and gently taking Luke into his arms. Obi-Wan placed his hand gently on Padmé's shoulder, walking close beside her as they followed Anakin to the couch.

Anakin smiled, as he laid Luke gently down on the thick, soft blanket. "I'm having to keep a close eye on her," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at Obi-Wan as he gently tucked the blanket around Luke's tiny, sleeping body. "Devon told her to take it easy," he said, watching Padmé grin and shake her head slowly as he spoke. "But she's not paying much attention to him."

"Like I said, Anakin," Obi-Wan chuckled, as he watched him help Padmé sit down on the couch beside her newborn son. "I think you're a bad influence on her."

"Have you two eaten?" Obi-Wan asked, as he walked back to his chair and took his seat beside Yoda again. "We've got some food over here if you're hungry."

"We ate just a little while ago," Padmé nodded, looking at her daughter fondly as she bounced her gently in her arms. "Anakin went foraging early this morning," she said, looking up at her husband fondly as he stood behind the couch where she sat. "He did a fine job," she said, her eyes twinkling as she smiled up at him. "As usual."

Anakin turned and looked at Yoda for a long moment; the little Jedi Master sat quietly, his hands folded in his lap, as he looked at Padmé thoughtfully.

"Are you okay, Master Yoda?" Anakin asked; he could sense that Yoda was troubled and unsettled. "You look like something's bothering you."

"Sleep well, I did not, last night," Yoda said, taking a deep breath and sighing deeply. "A great deal to think about, I had."

Anakin started to answer him, but looked up as he heard the door across from him open. He and the others watched, as Bail Organa stepped quickly through the doorway, and then turned and closed the door behind him.

Anakin's brow furrowed again, and he and Obi-Wan both exchanged troubled glances; a young padawan could have sensed how upset Bail was as he turned his troubled face toward them and started across the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Bail said, as he made his way quickly across the room to where his companions sat. "I was..." Bail paused for a moment, as he glanced around the room at his friends. "Delayed."

"What's wrong, Bail?" Padmé asked, looking up at her friend's troubled face as she gently rocked Leia in her arms; even she had felt Bail's troubled heart as he had entered the room.

Bail grabbed the belt at his waist, tucking his thumbs into it as he looked down at the floor for a long moment. "I don't know how else to tell you this," he said, as he looked back at his companions, "so I guess I'm just going to come out and say it."

Anakin and Obi-Wan both looked back at Yoda's deeply troubled face for a moment, as Bail continued. "I just finished speaking with Breha," Bail said, as he walked slowly to the empty chair beside Padmé, placing his hands on its thickly padded back as he stopped and stood behind it. "One of my confidants in the Senate contacted her this morning and gave her some terrible news."

"It would seem," Bail said, looking down at his hands as he squeezed the back of the chair in front of him, "that there have been some serious changes in the Republic in the last few hours."

* * *

"So let me see if I get this straight," Anakin said, turning from the window and looking back at Bail as he sat in the chair next to Padmé. "The Republic as we knew it, only a couple of days ago, doesn't exist anymore?_"_

"That's correct," Bail said, nodding his head slowly. He looked over at Padmé; she sat in stunned silence, listening to him with a look of complete and utter disbelief on her face as she tried to take in all that she was hearing.

"As I understand it," Bail said, looking up at Anakin as the others listened to him intently, "Chancellor Palpatine..." he paused, sighing as he shook his own head in disbelief.

"Or should I say, _Emperor _Palpatine," he said, a look of complete disdain spreading across his face as he spoke, "called an emergency session of the Senate last night, using his authority under Article thirty-seven of the Republic's constitution," he said. "He limited the meeting specifically to the minimum number of representatives required to hold the session, and he hand-picked the ones who were there."

"As soon as the session was called to order," Bail said, "Mas Amedda proposed an amendment that, given the seriousness of the current situation and the apparent betrayal by the Jedi, that the Chancellor be given complete imperial power for the indefinite future, until this crisis has been resolved."

"So you're serious," Anakin said, frowning as he shook his own head slowly in disbelief. "He's actually had himself instated as Emperor, now."

"He can't do that, Bail," Padmé said, shaking her head as he looked back at her. "It's completely out of order. It goes against everything that the Republic stands for."

"Apparently, you're the not the only one who feels that way," Bail said, nodding his head slowly. "As soon as the session was called to order and the amendment was proposed, several of the representatives present tried to contact the other members and advise them as to what was going on."

"Most of them arrived within minutes," Bail said, looking down at his hands as he folded them thoughtfully and leaned forward in his chair. "As soon as they attempted to protest the proceedings, Chancellor Palpatine had them labeled as sympathizers to the cause of the Jedi and had them detained on the spot," he said, looking back up at his companions again. "We don't know where they're being held at the moment."

"This is incredible," Obi-Wan said, standing up from his chair and walked toward the window where Anakin stood silently, his arms folded across his chest, looking out over the massive city.

"It gets worse," Bail said, looking over at Yoda as the little Jedi master listened in complete silence. "As soon as the protesters were removed from the chamber, the Chancellor called for a vote on the amendment, and it was passed and ratified, by the exact number of votes required."

"The amendment called for the transfer of power to take place immediately on ratification of the amendment," Bail said, glancing back over at Anakin and Obi-Wan again. "The first thing the Chancellor did, the moment it was passed, was to declare himself Emperor and place the Senate on immediate and indefinite suspension."

"If it's any consolation," Bail sighed, as he looked over at Padmé's stunned face, "Amedda was effectively stripped of his own power as soon as his damnable amendment was ratified."

"So it's over, then," Anakin said, holding his arms out beside him in frustrated disbelief, as he walked over toward the couch where Padmé sat. "The Senate's been stripped of its power, and Sidious has complete imperial control of not only the Republic, but the biggest, most powerful army ever created."

"And every star destroyer, gunship, and weapon at its command," Obi-Wan sighed, as he folded his arms tightly across his chest, looking out of the window toward the peaceful city below them.

"That pretty much sums it up," Bail sighed, nodding his head. "But that's still not the worst of it."

"What could _possibly _make any of this any worse?" Anakin said, shaking his head as Yoda looked up at him, sadly.

"He issued two other imperial orders, as soon as he was instated," Bail said, looking back up at Yoda's face as the tiny Jedi turned his deeply saddened eyes toward him. "The first was to dissolve the Republic and reform it as the Galactic Empire," he said. "He stated, according to my confidant," Bail said, shaking his head as a look of utter disdain crossed his face again, "that it was necessary to '_represent the resolve with which the former Republic would face its new challenges_'."

"Bantha poodoo," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath, as he turned and walked slowly back toward the window again.

"It's the other order that's the most troubling," Bail said, glancing back down at his hands again; he paused, sitting quietly for a long moment, as Yoda, Padmé, and the others sat in silence around him.

"He's dispatched more than half of the Clone Army into the outlying systems," Bail said, looking back up at Yoda's troubled face as Anakin and Obi-Wan stepped up behind the couch where Padmé sat. "They've been given direct orders to hunt down and kill any Jedi that they find on sight."

"Apparently," Bail sighed, his own expression growing deeply troubled as he spoke, "the task of coordinating the effort has been entrusted to someone called Darth Vader."

"_Va-Vader!" _Obi-Wan stammered as he leaned forward, placing his hands on the back of the couch where Padmé sat. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"That's the name that I was given," Bail said, nodding his head as he looked up at Obi-Wan's stunned face.

"But that's impossible," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Anakin and I faced Vader in that cave on Mustafar," he said, his tone growing deeply frustrated as he spoke. "He fell into that pit, just before you rescued me. I saw it with my own eyes," he said. "There's no way he could have survived that."

"Don't be so sure, Master," Anakin said quietly; Obi-Wan turned and looked back at his young companion, as Anakin turned his deeply troubled face toward him. "I sensed something last night," he said, as he reached down and placed his hand gently on Padmé's shoulder. "It was shortly after we'd gone to bed."

Padmé closed her eyes, as she reached up and took hold of Anakin's hand on her shoulder; she had known, instinctively, that it hadn't been a noise that had awakened him last night.

"What was it, that you sensed?" Yoda asked, looking up at Anakin's troubled face as he looked down at him.

"I'm not sure," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "It was dark, and it was full of pain, rage and anger." He paused for a moment, as he looked back at Yoda again. "It was one of the most terrifying things I've ever sensed."

"I don't know how I know," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly as he looked back up at Obi-Wan, "but it was him. I'm sure of it."

"Very well," Yoda sighed, as the others turned the attention toward him. "Clear it is, that a price Sidious has placed on our heads," he said, glancing around the room at his companions. "Rest, he and his apprentice will not, until dead, all of us are."

Yoda turned his attention Padmé, as he heard Leia begin to cry softly in her arms; he felt his own heart begin to ache, as he watched her turn her attention to her daughter.

"Shhhhhh," Padmé shushed softly, as she gently bounced Leia in her arms. "It's okay, sweetheart," she said, as she leaned down and kissed her daughter gently on the forehead.

"Anakin," Yoda said quietly, looking up at his young friend as he and Padmé turned and looked at him. "Of utmost importance, it is," he said, his tone growing deeply serious, "that we discuss your younglings."

* * *

Obi-Wan shook his head slowly, leaning forward in his chair as he folded his hands in front of him; he sat for a moment, with the rest of them, as the awkward, pained silence filled the small room around them.

"Master," Obi-Wan said, looking back up at Yoda as he sat across from him. "Are you absolutely sure about this?" he said, glancing back over at Padmé's stunned face as she sat quietly on the couch; Anakin stood at the window behind her, his arms folded across his chest, as he looked out of the window behind him toward the city below. "There's got to be another way."

Bail looked up at Anakin, as he heard the young Jedi's voice break the awkward silence. "That's completely out of the question," Anakin said firmly, and Bail watched as Anakin turned and walked slowly back across the room; he stepped behind her again, and then reached down and placed his hand reassuringly on Padmé's shoulder.

Padmé closed her eyes for a moment, as she tried to take in what she was hearing; she opened her eyes and looked up at Anakin, as she felt his hand on her shoulder, and his reassuring tremor in her heart.

"Don't worry, Angel," Anakin said softly, as he squeezed her shoulder gently, his bright blue eyes searching hers for a long moment. "Master Yoda's just trying to help," he said, shaking his head slowly. "That's not going to happen. We'll find another way."

"Understand, I do, your feelings on this, Anakin," Yoda said quietly, as he turned his small face toward him, watching as he turned his head and looked back out over the city, standing completely motionless behind his wife. "But confident, I am, that the safest option for your younglings, this would be."

"I said _no_," Anakin said firmly, shaking his head as he turned his eyes quickly from the window and looked back at Yoda, placing his hands firmly on the belt at his waist.

Padmé instinctively clutched her sleeping daughter closer to her chest, as she sat on the couch; she watched Anakin as he took several steps closer to the chair where Yoda sat. She could feel the strong tremor that traveled through him, as he instinctively protected his new family; she had never seen him so resolved, yet so calm at the same time. There was no hint of anger, frustration, or doubt as she sensed his emotions in her own heart; he was, quite simply, completely sure of his decision.

Yoda was taken back, somewhat, by the defiant firmness of Anakin's reply; he looked up at Anakin, as he stood a few feet from him, the expression on his young face steel hard and determined. "I understand what you're trying to say and do, Master Yoda," Anakin said, his expression softening a bit as he watched Yoda sigh deeply and lower his gaze toward the floor in front of the chair where he sat.

"And Padmé and I know you're only trying to suggest what's best for Luke and Leia, we know that," he said, as he watched Yoda look back up at him slowly.

"But what you're suggesting is just impossible," Anakin said, glancing over at Padmé as she looked down at her newborn daughter as she held her close. "You might as well ask us to give up our own hearts, our own souls," he said, shaking his head slowly. "We just can't do it. It's not possible."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Anakin and Padmé on this one, Master," Obi-Wan said, leaning back in his chair and looking up at his old padawan for a long moment. "It just doesn't feel right," he said, shaking his head as he looked back at Yoda.

"I agree," Bail said, as Yoda turned his attention toward the tall, dark-haired senator and listened to him intently. "There has to be another way."

"Strong with the Force, you and Padmé have become, Anakin," Yoda said, shaking his head slowly as he turned his attention back up to him; he watched Anakin as he folded his arms tightly across his chest as he stood beside him, listening intently.

"Powerful, our enemy Sidious is," Yoda said. "If able to sense you, or Padmé, he is, then in danger not only you, but your children, will be."

"Our last hope, these two younglings are," Yoda sighed. "If separated they are, and hidden, then harder it will be for Sidious to find them."

"But he thinks we were all killed when the _Destiny _was destroyed," Padmé said, turning her troubled eyes from her daughter's sleeping face and looking at Yoda thoughtfully. "Doesn't he?"

"A safe assumption that is, for now," Yoda said, nodding his head. "But strong with the Dark Side, Sidious is," he said, looking back over at Padmé's deeply troubled face. "Able to sense many of the same things through the Force, he is, as we are."

"Then we just have to make sure that he continues to think that we're dead," Anakin said, as he turned and walked slowly over toward the couch where Padmé sat.

"Difficult, it will be, to maintain that illusion, Anakin," Yoda said, looking back over his shoulder and watching as Padmé reached up and took Anakin's hand as he came and stood behind her. "Especially for so long a time. Bent on destroying us all, Sidious is. Difficult indeed, it will be, for all of us, and more so for you. A dangerous path, this is, that you are considering."

"I don't care how dangerous it is," Anakin said, shaking his head as he looked back at his wife and children. "I'm not trusting the safety of my children to anyone except me and their mother," he said, turning and looking back at Yoda again. "And that's final."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin's determined, resolute face; for a split second, he could have sworn he heard his old master's voice, as defiant as ever, echoing in Anakin's. He felt a smile spread slowly across his face, and he looked quickly down toward his lap as Yoda turned and looked at him.

"Told you, I did," Yoda grumbled, scowling as he looked at Obi-Wan as he struggled to wipe the smile from his face. "Qui-Gon's defiance I sensed in you, long ago," he said, shaking his head. Now, passed it on to your padawan, you have."

They all watched, as Yoda took a long deep breath and sighed deeply. "Very well," Yoda said, nodding his head. "Respect your decision in this matter, I will," he sighed, as he looked over at Anakin and Padmé again. "But a dangerous, and risky, path this is."

"The dark side clouds everything," Yoda said, as he closed his eyes tightly for a long moment. "More difficult than ever to see," he said, shaking his head slowly as he opened his eyes and looked back at them again, "the future is."

Anakin looked down at Padmé, as he heard her soft voice as she finally spoke again. He smiled, as he watched her cuddle Leia close to her chest, rocking her gently in her arms as she slept. "I can face a future full of danger and uncertainty, Master Yoda," Padmé said, as Yoda looked back at her softly smiling face. "I can face anything," she said, as she looked up at her husband fondly, "as long as I have Anakin at my side."

Padmé looked back down at her newborn daughter again for a long moment; her long brown hair tossed gently around her shoulders as she shook her head slowly and looked back at Yoda again. "But I can't face a future without my children, Master," she said. "Anakin's right. We have to choose another path, no matter how risky it is."

Yoda sighed, deeply. "Very well," he said, looking up at Anakin and Padmé for a long quiet moment. "Chosen this path, you have," he said, nodding his head slowly, "Time it is, now, to discuss what will be required, for all of us, to walk it."


	18. Decisions

_**Chapter 18: Decisions**_

"Well? What do you think?" Obi-Wan asked, as he reached up and took hold of the hood of his cloak, holding it tightly in his hand as the strong, angry wind tugged at it; he narrowed his eyes, watching as Anakin walked slowly down the entry ramp of the small ship, eyeing the tiny, aging craft carefully as he walked.

"It's definitely a far cry from the _Destiny_," Anakin said, running his hand along the hull of the craft's underside as he scanned it quickly with his eyes. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes as the wild, damp wind whipped through it.

"I'll get Artoo to check out the hyperdrive and see what he thinks," Anakin said, turning to Obi-Wan as he walked up and stood beside him at the foot of the craft's entry ramp. "It old, and it doesn't look like much," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's going to be a little cramped in there, with all of us, but I think it'll get us home."

"The important thing is that it gets you there without any problems," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as another gust of cool, damp wind tore past them. "I think it's a good idea, to have your droid check it out," he said. "We don't want you drifting through space with half the Clone Army combing the quadrant for us."

Obi-Wan glanced up at the angry sky above them; the clouds were thick and dark, rolling across the wind-torn skies in huge clusters as another of Deyer's frequent storm fronts approached.

"What about the weapons systems?" Obi-Wan asked, glancing up over his head at the small laser array that jutted from the nose of the craft.

"Well," Anakin sighed, shaking his head slowly as he looked up at the array, "They're better than nothing, but I don't think they're going to be much of a match for anything that Palpatine's army is liable to throw at us if we run into them."

"I think our best option is to try to avoid using them," Anakin said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a resigned sigh. "It's a small ship, no obvious markings," he said, shaking his head as he glanced back at it. "We shouldn't attract too much attention."

"Well, she's not much," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly. "But she's the best we can come up with on such short notice."

"I know," Anakin said, nodding his own head as he reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes as the wind whipped at it again. "It'll do."

Anakin reached over and pressed the control panel near the ship's forward landing strut, and he and Obi-Wan both turned and walked back across the landing platform; Anakin looked up, watching the angry, rolling clouds as he felt several drops of rain on his face. "Lovely weather they have here," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly as he and his old master began to trot toward the doorway at the far end of the platform, as the rain began to fall harder.

"I never thought I'd ever hear myself say this, Master, having grown up on Tatooine," he said, as they both began to run faster as the rain began to come down in heavy sheets, "but I think I'm about sick of all this rain."

"I know what you mean," Obi-Wan said, tossing his hood onto his shoulders and shaking his cloak, as he and Anakin both slid to a stop underneath the wide awning in front of the doorway. "I got my fill of it on Kamino, four years ago," he said, looking up at Anakin with a grin as he watched him brush his long, wet hair out of his eyes.

"Let's get indoors," Obi-Wan said, as he felt the wind whip a spray of the driving rain under the awning where they stood. "This awning isn't doing a whole lot of good right now, with all of this wind, and Ardenn is waiting for us."

"Think he'll take our offer?" Anakin asked, as he reached down and pulled the door open, holding it for Obi-Wan as he looked at him slyly.

"He seems fair enough," Obi-Wan said, winking at Anakin as he grinned back at him. "He's a Massan trader, and they're known for hard bargains, but hopefully," he said, as he stepped back through the doorway, "we can agree on a price, _without _having to resort to any kind of persuasion."

"Well, we both know how persuasive you can be, Master, when you need to be," Anakin chuckled, as he followed closely behind Obi-Wan. He glanced back out at the small, run-down ship, as it sat in the cold rain; he sighed, shaking his head slowly, and then let the door close behind him as he turned and walked quickly down the hallway to where the tall, gangly dealer waited for them.

* * *

Padmé couldn't remember the first time she had heard her mother hum the old, familiar tune; it had been a part of her childhood, a soft, lilting melody that she had listened to her mother hum and sing countless times. It was an old song, a sonnet that told a tale of a great adventurer who travelled across the seas of Naboo to distant lands, and of the great adventures he met on his journey.

Padmé couldn't remember the words, but it didn't matter; it was the melody that she loved, a soft, comforting tune that brought back so many precious memories from her own childhood. She could remember lying in her bed when she was very young, her eyes closed tightly as her mother sat on her bedside, softly humming the familiar tune as she rubbed her back gently. Her mother's soft, soothing voice would wrap around her like a thick, warm blanket as she drifted slowly to sleep, her young mind and heart filled with dreams and adventures of her own.

But, as wonderful as her childhood fantasies had been, they paled in comparison to the dream that she now held in her arms. She had never imagined, in her wildest, most wondrous dreams, that she could ever love, or be loved, so deeply. Yet here, in the security of her arms, rested one of the children that had come from the wondrous union that she and Anakin shared; a beautiful, radiant flower that had blossomed from that seed of love that they had planted together, that wonderful night on Naboo when they had first given their hearts to one another.

She gazed down at Luke's small, peaceful face, watching him as he blinked his eyes sleepily and looked up at her; she rocked him slowly, softly humming the same lullaby that she had heard her mother sing so many times. She smiled as she looked down at him, her beautiful, brown eyes glistening brightly in the soft light; he looked so much like Anakin, she thought to herself, as she watched him finally close his eyes and drift contentedly to sleep in her arms.

Padmé looked up, as she heard the soft knock on the door to their room. "I wonder who that is?" she whispered softly to her sleeping son, as she stood up and walked quietly over toward the bed.

She bent down, very slowly, and laid Luke gently in the bassinet beside his sister. She smiled at him, still humming the soft, quiet melody as she tucked the blanket in snugly around him, watching him as he stretched and sighed, and then drifted off to sleep beside Leia.

Padmé walked quietly across the room and slowly opened the door; she smiled, as she saw Yoda's kind face looking up at her from the hallway.

"Master Yoda," she said, opening the door wider and stepping to the side behind it. "What a nice surprise."

"Disturbing you, I hope I am not, Padmé?" Yoda asked, as he gazed up at her, his hands resting on his tiny cane.

"Of course not," Padmé said, shaking her head. "I was just putting Luke down for a nap. Please, come in."

Padmé watched as Yoda walked slowly through the door, his cane tapping softly on the floor as he walked toward the small bassinet. She closed the door softly behind her, and then walked over slowly to join him as he gazed at her children with wide-eyed wonder.

Yoda chuckled softly to himself, as he looked at the two sleeping infants. "Warms my heart, it does," he said, looking up at Padmé, "to see them like this. With all that has happened," he sighed, as he looked back at Luke and Leia again, "had time to simply visit with them, and their mother, I have not."

"Well, you picked a perfect time for a visit, Master Yoda," Padmé nodded, as he looked back up at her thoughtfully. "Anakin is still out with Master Obi-Wan trying to find us a ship."

"Then perfect, my timing is indeed," Yoda sighed, as he turned and started for the couch near the window. "Visited with you, I have not, since the last time you came to Coruscant," he said, looking over his shoulder at Padmé as she followed him toward the couch. "Long overdue, we are, I think, for a visit."

"Packed and ready, are you, for the journey home?" Yoda asked, as he tossed his cane up onto the couch in front of him and took hold of the armrest tightly.

Padmé chuckled softly to herself, as she watched Yoda climb, with no small effort, up onto the tall, thickly padded couch. "I think so, Master Yoda," she grinned, watching him with amusement as he turned and flopped down on the couch with a grunt. "Bail and Threepio carried the last of our things to the _Falcon _a short while ago. All we're waiting on is for Anakin and Obi-Wan to get back, and we should be ready."

"On seven planets, have I been, in the last six months," Yoda said, shaking his head disgustedly, turning a wry grin toward Padmé as she took a seat in the chair beside him. "No chairs, have I found, of suitable size on any of them."

"Just once," Yoda sighed, shaking his head slowly, "a planet full of short people, I would like to find."

"I'm sorry, Master," Padmé laughed, as she watched Yoda chuckle to himself. "These are a little tall for my tastes, too, I must admit," she said, as she looked down at the long legs on the chairs and sofa. "I think most of the natives here are a good bit taller than we are."

Padmé looked at him, as he sat quietly for a long moment. "Miss my old chair, in the Temple, I do," Yoda said, his expression growing more somber as he spoke. "But a long time, if ever, I feel it will be, before I see it again."

Padmé felt her heart ache, as she saw the sad, sorrowful look that spread across Yoda's face as he sat quietly beside her. "There's always hope, Master Yoda," she said, smiling reassuringly at him as he turned his large, round eyes up to her. "I told Anakin the same thing, just last night," she said, as she turned and looked back fondly toward her two sleeping babies.

"I just have to look at them, and at Anakin," she said softly, as she looked back at Yoda again, "when I need to remind myself of that."

Yoda smiled, as he watched Padmé sigh deeply and lean back in her chair; he watched her for a long moment, as she glanced over and looked thoughtfully at her children as they slept in the bassinet not far from them.

"Master Yoda," Padmé said finally, turning her deeply thoughtful face back toward the little Jedi master who sat next to her, "there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head as he folded his his hands thoughtfully in his lap, watching her as she smiled, somewhat weakly, at him. "Suspected as much, I did."

"When we were talking this morning," Padmé said quietly, turning her eyes down toward her hands as she fidgeted with the band on her long ponytail that hung over her shoulder, "you told Anakin that it was imperative that I complete my training." She looked back up at Yoda, a look of apprehension on her face. "Can you tell me why?"

Yoda took a deep breath and sighed deeply, turning his gaze back to the floor in front of him; he had sensed her concern earlier, when he had uttered those words for the first time, and he knew she deserved an honest answer, as honest an answer as he could give her.

"Strong, our adversary Sidious has become, Padmé," Yoda said, as he looked back up at her. "Stop, he and his apprentice will not, until hunted down and destroyed, we all are."

Padmé followed Yoda's gaze toward the bassinet, as he looked at her sleeping children thoughtfully. "Including your younglings," he said softly, as he turned his deeply worried face back toward her.

"Dangerous, this path is, that we have chosen," Yoda said, his tone growing deeply serious. "Powerful Anakin is, but your help, he will need, to protect your young ones, and him, as you will need to," he said, watching as Padmé listened to him intently.

"Able to sense Vader, Anakin is," Yoda continued, as he glanced back over at the bassinet. "Likely, it is, that able to sense him as well, Sidious' apprentice is."

"In grave danger, the both of you, and your younglings, will be," Yoda said, nodding his head as he looked into her deeply worried eyes. "Only as a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as your ally, will you be able to protect him, and your family, as you should."

"Protect Anakin?" Padmé asked, a look of complete disbelief on her face. "Anakin's an amazingly powerful Jedi, Master Yoda," she said, shaking her head slowly. "He protects me, and our children. How would I ever be able to protect him?"

"Hmmm," Yoda mused again, nodding his head slowly. "Difficult to see, the future can be," he said, a deeply serious expression on his face. "But protect him, and save him, someday you will," he said, looking at her awestruck face as she listened to him intently. "Foreseen it, I have."

Padmé listened, with a growing sense of awe and amazement, as Yoda looked down at his hands and sighed deeply. "Saved him once, from a terrible fate, you have already," Yoda said, turning his eyes back up to her. "Save him again, from another, you will."

Padmé took a long, troubled breath, as she sensed the deep urgency and foreboding in Yoda's voice; she sat quietly for a long moment, as she looked over at the bassinet in front of her. "It's funny," she said, taking a long, halting breath as she gazed fondly at her two sleeping babies. "All the things that I thought mattered so much before Anakin and I were together just seem so insignificant now," she said, as Yoda listened quietly as she spoke.

"I don't care what I have to do, or how long it takes, Master Yoda," Padmé said softly, as she turned her glistening, determined eyes back toward him again. "I'll do whatever I have to to protect him, and our children."

Yoda smiled, his expression softening as he looked at Padmé's determined face, and sensed the incredible wave of love that flowed through her heart as her thoughts shifted to Anakin and their children.

"Very well," he said, nodding his head slowly. "Then as of this moment," he said, as he watched Padmé take a deep breath and sigh deeply, "Anakin's padawan, you are."

* * *

"Well?" the tall, rail-thin Massan asked, rubbing his hands together anxiously as he lowered his head and looked at the two Jedi Knights who approached him with a wide, toothless smile. "What do you think, eh? A fine vessel, is she not, eh?"

"Oh, yes," Obi-Wan said, folding his hands in front of his damp robe as he and Anakin looked up at the tall, spindly Massan; he had to be at least eight feet tall, if not taller. "She's a fine ship," he said, as he watched the dealer rub his hands together in wide-eyed anticipation. "How much did you say you were asking for her?"

"Eight thousand rupendiis," Ardenn said, greedily extending his open palm toward Obi-Wan. "A bargain, don't you think, for a ship of such quality, eh?"

"Excuse us for just a moment, won't you, Ardenn?" Obi-Wan said, smiling cordially as he placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "We need a moment to discuss your price in private."

"Discuss?" Ardenn said, cocking his large head and looking at Obi-Wan curiously. "What is there to discuss, eh? A fine ship at a bargain price, what need is there for discussion, eh?"

"We won't be a moment," Obi-Wan said, glancing back over his shoulder as he and Anakin took several steps away from him and turned their backs to him. Ardenn craned his neck, and his ears, as he watched the two Jedi fold their arms across their chest and begin to whisper quietly among themselves.

"I don't know, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, as he glanced over and winked at him; they both knew that Ardenn was listening; on hearing who they were meeting with, Bail had told them that Massans had an incredibly acute sense of hearing. "What do you think?"

"Eight thousand seems like a lot, Master," Anakin said, shaking his head. "We've only got sixty-five hundred on us. I don't know if we can come up with more than that."

"There was that other ship that Bail told us about," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We could give that one a try."

"Or we could just have Bail drop us off aboard the _Falcon," _Anakin said, shrugging his shoulders. 'It'd take longer, but we could..."

"Friends, friends," Ardenn suddenly chided, holding his long, spindly arms out to his side as Obi-Wan and Anakin looked back at him. "Ardenn has reconsidered his offer," he said, his wide toothless smile grinning down at them as he spoke. "Perhaps you will be finding sixty-five hundred rupendiis to be more to your liking, eh?"

"That's a generous offer, Ardenn," Obi-Wan said, as he and Anakin turned to face him again. "It just so happens that's the price that fits our budget."

"See?" Ardenn said, his smile widening, as he rubbed his hands together again eagerly. "It is as Ardenn tells you. Looking out for his new friends, Ardenn is, eh?"

"I hope you won't mind if we have my companion's astromech droid check it out, though, just be sure there are no problems we're not aware of?" Obi-Wan said, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the handful of local currency that Bail had given him.

"Problems, eh?" Ardenn said, leaning his head back and looking at Obi-Wan defensively, eyeing the money in his hand eagerly. "You suspect problems? No problems with that ship, my friend. An honest trader, Ardenn is, fairer than any in Il' Bru'ndadja. A better deal you will never find, eh?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to imply that there were problems, Ardenn," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head and raising his hand in front of him apologetically. "It's just that we have quite a long voyage ahead of us, and we don't want to risk any mishaps along the way."

"You understand, don't you?" Obi-Wan asked, smiling amicably up at him. "We'll give you half the money now, to hold the ship for us, and half when we take delivery in a few hours. Agreed?"

"Hmmph," Ardenn snorted, as he watched Obi-Wan begin to count out the shiny, new rupendiis in front of him. "Ardenn tells you that the ship is fine, gives you best deal in city," he said, as he stuck his greedy palm out in front of Obi-Wan, "and still you want silly droid to inspect ship, eh?"

"I'm sure that everything's just fine, Ardenn," Obi-Wan sighed, as he placed the handful of rupendiis into Ardenn's outstretched palm, watching him as he counted it greedily with his long, thin fingers. "We'll meet you back here in three hours and close the deal."

"Very well," Ardenn sighed, as he stuck the money into the pocket of his long, flowing robe. "After all, is only for new friends that Ardenn is willing to do this," he said, his smile widening. "You will send more business Ardenn's way, eh?"

"Oh, absolutely," Obi-Wan answered, nodding his head firmly. "You can count on it."

"Ardenn will see you in three hours, then," he said, and, bowing politely, he turned and walked back toward the doorway at the end of the long hall.

"Well," Anakin sighed, as he watched Obi-Wan put the rest of the money back into his pocket, "that went fairly well."

"Considering we paid him more than it was worth already," Obi-Wan sighed, looking back at Anakin with a resigned smile.

"Where'd Bail get all that money, anyway?" Anakin asked, watching as Obi-Wan pulled his hand out of the pocket of his cloak and patted it soundly.

"Who knows?" Obi-Wan sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he and Anakin started down the hallway. "It seems that Bail's got connections that even Master Yoda doesn't know about."

"Well, it isn't much of a ship, but it'll do," Anakin said. "We'd better get back and get things ready. We've got a lot to go over before we leave and Artoo's going to need at least an hour to go over the hyperdrive."

"You still have that encryption key I gave you?" Anakin asked, as he and Obi-Wan walked briskly down the hallway, the sound of their boots echoing off the smooth stone walls.

"I've got it right here," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he reached down and patted the belt at his waist. "We need to go over using it one time before we depart," he said, glancing back up at Anakin as he reached out and took hold of the door in front of him. "We don't have much of a margin for error, and I don't want to have any glitches when we're twelve parsecs apart."

"And that reminds me," Obi-Wan said as he opened the door, holding it for Anakin. "I've got something for you when we get back to the complex. Don't let me forget."

Obi-Wan stepped through the doorway after Anakin, and the two of them started back toward the lift that led to the transportation station on the main level.

* * *

"There you are," Padmé said, smiling brightly as she placed the book in her hand on the table beside her; she stood up and walked quickly to the door, as Anakin turned and closed it behind him, as quietly as he could.

Anakin turned around, just in time to jump with surprise as Padmé threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Wow," he said, closing his eyes and smiling as he wrapped his arms around and hugged her, gently. "What a welcome."

"You can squeeze me harder than that," Padmé whispered in his ear, as she pressed her cheek close to his. "I won't break, I promise."

She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, as she heard him laugh softly as he tightened his arms around her. "That's much better," she sighed, as she leaned back and looked at him, reaching up and placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Whatcha been reading?" Anakin asked, closing his eyes as she leaned up and kissed him tenderly for a long moment. He opened his eyes, as their lips parted, watching her as she glanced back over at the book that she had laid on the table beside her chair.

"Nothing good," Padmé said, sticking her tongue out playfully as she looked back at him. "It was the only book that I could find in the library downstairs that was in a language I could read," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "but it reads like a hyperdrive repair manual."

"Well, maybe it _is _a hyperdrive repair manual," Anakin chuckled, as she laughed at him. "It might come in handy, considering how old the ship that Obi-Wan and I just bought is."

"Did you find us one?" she asked, her face brightening again. "How's it look?"

"Well, it's a little small, and it's not too much to look at," Anakin sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "But I think it'll get us, and Master Yoda back home. I'm going to have Artoo check out the hyperdrive before Obi-Wan and I give Ardenn the rest of his money and close the deal."

"With any luck," Anakin sighed, "we should be on our way to Naboo in a few hours, and Obi-Wan and Bail will be on their way back to Coruscant."

"That's wonderful," Padmé nodded. "I'm ready to get back home," she said, her countenance growing a bit more concerned as she spoke, "but I'm not too thrilled about Obi-Wan and Bail having to go back to Coruscant. Are we sure there isn't another way?" Padmé asked, looking up at Anakin thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly. "It'd only be a matter of time before Sidious found the children at Bail's residence," he said. "They've got to get them out of there as quickly as they can."

"Have you contacted Owen and Beru?" Padmé asked, gently squeezing Anakin's shoulder as she looked up at him.

"Yes, just a bit ago," Anakin nodded. "I talked with Owen. He's taking care of the arrangements now," he said, as he Padmé nodded her head and sighed, deeply. "They should be ready when Obi-Wan and Bail get there."

"We're going to meet back up in the sitting room, in thirty minutes," Anakin said, watching as Padmé glanced up at the timepiece on the wall. "We're going to go over everything one more time, just to make sure that we haven't missed anything."

"Okay," Padmé said, nodding her head. "Artoo and Threepio are with Bail now, on the _Falcon__,"_ she said. "All that's left here for us to carry out are the supplies for the twins, and that's it."

"Speaking of our little ones," Anakin asked, turning and looking back toward the small bassinet near the bed, "how are they?"

"They're wonderful," Padmé sighed, nodding her head. "I wish you could have been here a little while ago," she said, her face beaming. "I was talking to Luke, just after I'd given him a bath, and I swear he laughed at me."

"You're kidding," Anakin said, his own face beaming as he glanced over at the bassinet by the bed. "Did he really? I thought he was way too young for that."

"I did too," Padmé laughed, as she squeezed his neck tightly. "But I swear he did. I had just finished giving him his bath, and I kissed him on his stomach, and I know I heard him laugh," she said. "He was smiling at me as big as you are when I looked up at him. It was _so _sweet."

"I wish I could have seen that," Anakin sighed, shaking his head. "How long have they been asleep?"

"About an hour," Padmé said, following his gaze to the bassinet beside the bed once again. "I fed them both, right after their baths, and they've both been sleeping ever since."

"By the way," Padmé said, as Anakin turned his attention back to her. "Master Yoda came by to see me a little while ago."

"Did he?" Anakin asked, his expression growing a bit more serious as he looked down at her beautiful, smiling face. "Did you two get a chance to talk, about everything we talked about this morning?"

"Yes," Padmé said, nodding her head firmly as she snuggled a little closer to him. "We had a nice, long conversation about everything."

"So?" Anakin asked, grinning at her slyly as he looked at her. "How'd it go?"

"Oh, it went fine," Padmé sighed, nodding her head. "We talked about you, and the twins," she said, as she glanced up at the ceiling playfully, "and about what a reckless pilot you are, and how Obi-Wan doesn't like to fly anymore because of you, and how much trouble you were when you were younger, and..."

"Okay, okay," Anakin laughed, grinning broadly at her as she laughed back at him. "I thought you two were going to talk about you," he said, reaching up and squeezing her nose playfully. "I didn't know you were just going to talk about me the whole time."

"And it's not my fault Obi-Wan doesn't like to fly anymore," he grinned. "Besides," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "he hasn't said anything about that last crash, uh, I mean, landing we made on Coruscant."

"Probably because he's too scared to talk about it," Padmé snickered, as she rubbed her nose playfully, her eyes sparkling up at him.

"So come on, tell me," Anakin said, as he tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her a little closer to him. "What did you two talk about, besides me?"

"Oh, not much," she said, smiling slyly at him. "There's really not too much to tell," she said, shaking her head playfully. "But I do have something that I wanted to get your opinion on."

"What's that?" Anakin asked, looking at her curiously as she laughed softly, her eyes sparkling brightly as she gazed playfully up at him.

"What do you think?" Padmé said, turning her head to her right, as she reached up and brushed her hand gently through her long, brown hair.

Anakin narrowed his eyes and looked at her hair, curiously, as he watched her shake her head gently; his eyes widened, almost as much as his smile, as he saw the long, thin braid that hung just behind her left ear; a single golden strand was woven through its entire length, just as it had been in his, when he had reached his second year as Obi-Wan's padawan.

"So," Padmé said, giggling happily as she watched him hold the long, thin braid almost reverently in his trembling hand, as he started to laugh softly. "How does it look, Master?"

Anakin laughed harder, as he looked back at her beaming face. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, his eyes twinkling as brightly as hers. "Is this for real?"

"As real as it gets, by order of the oldest member of the Jedi Council," Padmé giggled happily. "Of course, Master Obi-Wan still has to approve," she said, tilting her head and closing one eye playfully, "but I don't think that's going to be a problem."

Padmé grinned excitedly, as she watched him place his hand gently on her cheek, caressing it softly as he gazed proudly at her. "You have a padawan, Ani," she laughed softly, her face beaming brightly as she looked up at him.

She closed her eyes tightly, as Anakin swept her into his arms, laughing happily. She wasn't afraid anymore; she knew, that whatever the future held for them, that they would face it together, just as they had faced every other challenge that had come their way. She giggled, happily, as she suddenly thought of the lullaby that she had sung to her two beautiful children only a short time earlier.

She and Anakin were the adventurers, now; and what a wondrous adventure it would be.

* * *

"The little ones all right?" Obi-Wan asked, looking up and watching as Anakin walked quickly through the doorway of the small, round sitting room where he and the others sat.

"They're just fine," Anakin nodded, as he walked over to the couch where Padmé sat, sitting down on the arm next to her. "Threepio's watching them, and he's got the comlink with him. He said he'd call us if he had any trouble."

"Maybe the right question should be, how's Threepio doing?" Obi-Wan chuckled, as he watched Anakin shake his head as Padmé grinned up at him.

"If one of them so much as sneezes, we'll hear about it," Anakin laughed quietly, placing his hand gently on Padmé's shoulder and squeezing it tightly. "I've never seen him so nervous. I'm glad that Artoo's with him."

"So basically, Artoo's watching the twins _and_ Threepio," Bail chuckled; Anakin nodded his head slowly, as they all laughed quietly.

"Pretty much," Anakin said. "A babysitter for the babysitter," he chuckled, looking down at Padmé, as she reached up to her shoulder and took his hand in hers.

"All right," Obi-Wan sighed, leaning forward in his chair and resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at his companions; they all watched and listened to him intently, as they huddled together around the small table in front of them. "Let's go over this one more time, as quickly as possible. I don't want us to run into any unexpected problems, and we need to get going."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, looking at his young friend as he sat on the arm of the couch in front of him beside Padmé, "Are you sure that Owen's made all of the arrangements?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin nodded. "I spoke with him a little while ago. He's getting everything ready now. I'm going to contact him again, as soon as we get underway, just to make sure he's ready."

"And he'll be waiting for our transmission?" Obi-Wan asked, watching as Padmé squeezed Anakin's hand tightly as she looked up at her husband.

"Yes," Anakin nodded again. "Cleige and Beru will both be watching for your com signal," he said. "One of them will be standing by at the console until they hear from you. They know we may have to improvise pretty quickly," he said. "They'll be ready."

"Good," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he turned his attention toward Yoda; the little Jedi Master sat quietly in the chair beside him, turning his small cane over slowly in his hands as he listened.

"It should take Bail and I about three hours to get to Coruscant from here, given the _Falcon's_ past performance as far as speed is concerned," Obi-Wan said, as Yoda turned his thoughtful face toward him. "We'll need an hour, maybe two, to pick up the children, and then another three to get to Tatooine. Do you think that will give you and Anakin enough time to relay the information we need from the archive data to Owen?"

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances," Yoda replied gruffly, as he looked over at Anakin, "and with the help of his droid, sufficient time, there should be, to connect the core and extract the information you will need."

"I spoke with Breha a little earlier this morning," Bail said, as they all turned their attention toward him as he stood quietly next to Obi-Wan, his arms folded across his chest. "She said that she's received several communiques from the Senate quorum master, asking why I haven't attended the last two sessions," he said, his expression growing a bit more somber as he spoke. "She said that Emperor Palpatine has squads of troops combing the city, looking for any trace of the Jedi or anyone who was stationed in the Temple."

" It's probably a foregone conclusion that the troopers will be searching my residence in a matter of hours, if not sooner," Bail said. "She's moving the children to a small warehouse in the industrial district, just outside of the city's perimeter. I thought it would be safer for her, and the children, if we got them out of there as quickly as possible."

"She's using an unmarked transport that belongs to one of our servants," he said, as Padmé looked back up at Anakin, worriedly. "With any luck, she should be able to move them without being noticed."

"I never used to believe in luck," Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head slowly. "But at this point, I'm willing to accept any help we can get."

"All right," Obi-Wan said, looking around at his companions. "I guess we're all ready. Any last-minute questions?"

"I think we're ready, Master," Anakin said, as he and Padmé exchanged glances for a long moment. "We just need to get the twins and the last of our stuff from our room, and we'll meet you at the ship."

"I'll come down and give you a hand," Obi-Wan nodded, as they all stood up together. He sighed again, as they all looked at each other thoughtfully for a long moment.

Obi-Wan smiled, as brightly as he could manage, as he turned his gaze slowly among his companions, as they stood silently in a tight circle; he glanced over and watched, his smile widening a bit, as Padmé reached down and took Anakin's hand tightly in her own as she stood close by his side. He knew that they all felt the same twinge of sorrow that he did, as they prepared to do what had to be done.

"All right," he said, nodding his head firmly. "We'll all meet at the _Falcon_ in fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Come on in," Anakin called over his shoulder, as he heard the familiar pattern of knocks on their door; he reached down and picked up the large bag that sat beside the bed and handed it to Threepio, as he shuffled over next to him by the bed. "It's open."

"I'm not intruding, am I?" Obi-Wan asked, peering around the edge of the doorway as he opened the door slowly.

"Not at all," Padmé replied, as she laid Luke's tiny, wiggling form down on the bed beside his sister, watching as Obi-Wan opened the door and stepped inside.

"Go ahead take this on up to the _Falcon_, Threepio," Anakin said, as he patted his tall, silver droid on the shoulder. "We'll be up to join you in just a few minutes."

"Of course, Master Ani," Threepio replied obediently, turning and shuffling as quickly as he could to the doorway as Obi-Wan stepped behind it and opened it fully, so that Threepio could step through.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," Threepio chimed pleasantly, as Obi-Wan held the door for him, watching as he stepped sideways and carefully shuffled through the somewhat narrow doorway.

"No problem, Threepio," Obi-Wan nodded, as he watched Threepio head down the hallway toward the exit. "We'll be up in a minute," he called after him. "Tell Bail to go ahead and warm up the engines."

"So," Obi-Wan sighed, closing the door behind him and turning to his companions. "You two ready to get out of here?"

"Absolutely," Padmé sighed, as she sat down on the bed next to Luke and Leia, watching them as they wiggled and cooed softly. "I'm ready to get back home and get these two settled."

"I imagine so," Obi-Wan said, stepping over to the bedside and looking down at Luke and Leia with a grin. "Their arrival didn't quite go the way either of you expected, did it?"

"No," Padmé laughed sarcastically, shaking her head firmly. "I don't think either one of us pictured things happening this way," she said, looking back up at Obi-Wan's smiling face. "Even in our wildest dreams."

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, as he took a deep breath and folded his hands thoughtfully in front of his robes, "I can't help but feel that I owe the both of you an apology for that."

"Apologize for what, Master?" Anakin said, as he stepped over to the foot of the bed as Obi-Wan looked up at him thoughtfully. "You didn't have anything to do with any of this."

"I can't help but feel that I did," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head slowly. "If it wasn't for me coming and tearing you away from Padmé when all of this started, the two of you would never have had to go through any of this."

"You didn't tear Anakin away from me, Master Kenobi," Padmé smiled, as Obi-Wan turned his face back toward her. "He chose to come and help you, just as he should have," she said. "And just as I wanted him to."

"Everything worked out just the way it was supposed to," Padmé said, looking back at her little ones fondly as she spoke. "Even though we might not like the way some things have turned out," she said, looking back up at Anakin and Obi-Wan thoughtfully, "we have to trust that things will work out the way they should."

Obi-Wan watched Padmé look back down at Luke, tucking his small arm back under the blanket that he was wrapped in as he wiggled on the bed in front of her. He smiled, as he caught sight of her newly wrapped padawan braid as she leaned closer to him and kissed him gently on his small forehead.

"You know, it's just not fair, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, turning his smile back to his young friend as he stood beside him. "I always hoped you'd have a padawan that would aggravate you more than you did me all those years ago."

"Don't underestimate her, Master," Anakin chuckled, watching as Padmé raised her eyebrow and smiled up at him slyly. "She can be a handful when she wants to be," he said, laughing as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "I'm going to have my work cut out for me."

"By the way, Padmé," Obi-Wan laughed, as she glanced up at him, "I haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet."

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," Padmé nodded, smiling coyly as she glanced over at Anakin as he grinned back at her. "It's nice to know that at least someone thinks I'll make a good padawan."

"I never said you wouldn't make a good padawan," Anakin laughed, shaking his head firmly and crossing his arms across his chest. "I just said you can be a handful when you want to be."

Obi-Wan laughed, as Padmé stuck her tongue back out at Anakin again, and then went back to tending to her twins. "That reminds me," he said, chuckling softly to himself as he reached under his cloak. "I have something here for you."

Anakin watched as Obi-Wan reached under his cloak and produced a small box, and then held it out with a grin as Padmé looked up at him, a look of pleasant surprise spreading across her face.

"For me?" Padmé asked, as she reached up and took the small box from his hand, looking at it curiously. "What is it?"

"Well, open it and see," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as she smiled up at him. He glanced over at Anakin, and the two of the exchanged knowing glances as Padmé untied the small cord that fastened the top of the box, and then opened it slowly.

"Oh, wow," Padmé said quietly, as she reached into the box and picked up the smooth, brilliantly polished gem; she held it up in front of her, turning it slowly, a bright, curious smile on her face as she looked at it.

Anakin's smile widened, and he glanced back at Obi-Wan as he recognized the gem that she held in her hands. It was a perfect sphere, just about two inches in diameter; he looked back at Padmé, watching her as she turned it slowly in her hands, smiling brightly as she saw her own face reflected back at her in the smoothly polished surface of the translucent, gold-colored gem.

"It's beautiful," Padmé said, looking back up at Obi-Wan as she laid the box down on the bed beside her and turned it over slowly in her hands. "But what is it?"

"It's a Mandarian meditation stone," Obi-Wan said, folding his arms across his chest as he watched Padmé look at the small gem with keen interest. "I thought it might come in handy when you're practicing your meditation exercises," he said, glancing back at Anakin with a broad grin.

"What's it do?" Padmé asked, as she looked up at him curiously.

"I'm sure that Anakin's already taught you that most objects can be very easily manipulated by the Force, right?" Obi-Wan asked, looking back at her keenly curious face.

"Mmm,hmm," Padmé mused, nodding her head. "He's had me practicing at home with small stones, and things like that," she said. "But I've only been practicing for a couple of weeks. I haven't done much yet."

"Well, it sounds like he's got you right on schedule, then," Obi-Wan nodded in reply. "Most padawans begin to learn to manipulate objects at the start of their second year," he said, glancing back at Anakin as he raised his eyebrow and smiled at him slyly. "Only a handful ever start earlier than that," he said, "and a few have been known to try on their own without their master's permission."

"The window wasn't my fault," Anakin chuckled, raising his hands in front of him defensively as Obi-Wan laughed at him. "If you hadn't come in and frightened me, that never would have happened."

"What did he do?" Padmé laughed, as she watched Anakin lower his head and shake it slowly as Obi-Wan began to laugh harder as he saw Anakin literally blush with embarrassment.

"Your husband, or should I say, mentor, here, was practicing without my permission, when he'd only been my padawan for about six months," Obi-Wan laughed, watching Anakin as he placed his hand on his forehead and covered his face as he laughed quietly to himself. "I happened to come in the door and catch him, right as he was levitating the heavy glass and metal table that sat in the middle of our living quarters."

"Oh, no," Padmé laughed, as she placed her hand over her mouth and looked at Anakin; she didn't know what was funnier, the look on Obi-Wan's face or the color of Anakin's, as he turned another shade of red. "What happened? Did he break the table?"

"Oh, that would have been far too simple for Anakin," Obi-Wan chuckled, as he looked back at Padmé's smiling face. "When I walked in on him, he panicked. Instead of lowering the table, like he should have," Obi-Wan said, as Anakin started to laugh harder, "he pushed."

Padmé began to laugh, almost as hard as Anakin, as Obi-Wan continued. "You should have seen the look on his face, when that table went flying through the window," Obi-Wan laughed, as he watched Anakin sit down on the bed and shake his head as he laughed, harder and harder. "Fortunately, no one was in the speeder that it landed on four levels below us, either."

"Anakin Skywalker!" Padmé laughed, reaching over and shoving him playfully as she watched him cup his hands over his face and begin to laugh hysterically. "And you're complaining about _me_ being a handful?"

"I hope you made him pay for the window," Padmé laughed, as she watched Anakin reach up and wipe away the tear that stood in the corner of his eye as he laughed.

"Oh, he did," Anakin chuckled, wiping his eyes as he looked over at her. "I cleaned floors in the Temple for six months, until I made enough to pay for the window, the table, and the repairs to Shaak Ti's speeder."

"You were lucky it was hers it landed on," Obi-Wan chuckled. "Master Windu wanted to expel you then and there, but she calmed him down. She always did like you."

"Anyway," Obi-Wan chuckled, as he watched Padmé shake her head as she laughed, and then look back at the gem in her hand, "that's the kind of thing that this meditation stone should help you avoid."

"The gem that the stone is made of is a very rare material," Obi-Wan said, as he and Anakin turned their attention back to the brilliant golden gem in her hands. "It's one of the few materials that resists being manipulated by the Force."

Padmé looked up at Anakin as he reached over and held his palm out in front of her. "It takes a lot of concentration and control to be able to lift one of these and make it sing," Anakin said, as she placed the smooth, round stone gently in his outstretched hand.

"Sing?" Padmé said, looking back at him with a curious grin. "You mean it sings?"

"Mmm,hmm," Anakin mused, nodding his head as he held his hand out in front of him, looking at the small stone intently. "If you focus hard enough, and your control is precise enough, once you make it float, it'll start to hum."

Padmé and Obi-Wan both watched as Anakin closed his eyes and sat quietly for a long moment; she smiled again, as she saw the small, golden stone begin to glow softly, and then lift slowly and hover, just an inch or two above Anakin's outstretched palm.

"Anakin could always make one sing much better than I could," Obi-Wan said quietly, as he and Padmé exchanged a quick glance.

Padmé looked back at the stone; she smiled brightly, watching with a sense of wonder as she saw the stone begin to glow even brighter, as its soft, soothing hum began to fill the room around them. She and Obi-Wan both watched, as Anakin slowly opened his eyes and lowered his hand to the bed beside him.

"And that's something that I could never do," Obi-Wan said softly, and with no small hint of pride, as he and Padmé watched the stone hang, suspended in mid-air over the bed, as Anakin's bright blue eyes watched it closely. "Anakin and Master Yoda are the only two I've ever seen who can balance the stone with their eyes open," he said, shaking his head slowly in amazement. "And without supporting it."

"Balance the stone?" Padmé asked, as she watched, with a growing sense of awe and amazement, listening intently to the soft hum of the stone as Anakin held it, perfectly still, for a long moment; the golden stone seemed to burn from within, glowing brightly as it's soft, pleasant hum resonated through the air around them.

"That's what we call this exercise," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly as he watched the stone begin to spin, slowly, as Anakin's unblinking eyes focused intently on it. "It takes a level of control that few Jedi ever master to do what Anakin's doing now," he said, as he looked back at Padmé's awestruck face. "I know of two right now who can, and I hope to know a third someday."

Padmé shook her head slowly, watching as Anakin reached up and placed his hand under the small, humming, glowing stone and, closing his eyes, let it drop back into his hand. "That's amazing," sha said softly, watching as Anakin took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking back at her with a grin, as the stone's soft hum faded quietly away.

"Whew," Anakin sighed, as he took another deep breath and placed the stone back into Padmé's outstretched hand. "I'd forgotten how hard it was to do that," he said, nodding his head slowly.

"So this is just like the one you practiced with, then, when you were Obi-Wan's padawan," Padmé said, looking back at the stone in her hand with a profound sense of wonder.

"No," Anakin said, as he looked up and exchanged glances with Obi-Wan for a long moment, as Padmé looked back up at him.

"That_ is_ the one I practiced with," Anakin said quietly, as he looked back at her fondly, nodding his head.

"Only three of these stones were ever made," Obi-Wan said, as Padmé turned her awestruck face up to him; she cradled the stone almost reverently in her hands. "Master Yoda has one of them, and there was one in the Temple library," he said quietly. "I bought this one for Anakin from Master Mundi, about a year after he became my padawan."

"Master Kenobi," Padmé said softly, turning her glistening eyes back up to him, as she realized the value, both physical, and emotional, of the gift he had just presented her with. "I don't know what to say," she said, as she squeezed the small, golden orb in her hands tightly.

"Just promise me you'll practice with it, and often," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he smiled back at her. "I know you'll take good care of it," he said. "It really belongs with you, now, anyway. Besides," he said, as he looked down at Luke and Leia as they continued to wiggle and coo contentedly on the bed beside her, "you'll probably need it, when it comes time to train these two someday."

Anakin watched, as Padmé looked back at the stone in her hand for a long moment; he smiled, as he watched her stand up and place her arms around Obi-Wan's neck and hug him tightly.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," Padmé said softly, as Obi-Wan patted her back gently. "Thank you so much. I'll take good care of it, I promise."

"You're welcome, Padmé," Obi-Wan said, smiling back at her as she released him from her embrace. "I just hope it helps you as much as it did Anakin."

"You're going to make a fine padawan," he said, nodding his head as he squeezed her shoulders tightly as Anakin stood up and stepped beside her. "And I foresee that you're going to become a great Jedi Knight," he said, smiling as he watched her reach down and take Anakin's hand tightly in hers.

"Just like your husband," Obi-Wan said, turning a proud gaze to Anakin as he stood quietly at her side.

They all looked at each other for a long moment, as each of them sensed the deep sorrow buried deep inside their hearts. They all knew that things were going to be different, as soon as they left this room, and this planet; yet neither he, Anakin, or Padmé knew exactly how, or where their individual paths would take them. The only thing that they were sure of was that, no matter what else happened, or where the path they had chosen took them, their friendship would endure.

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, as he reached up and squeezed their shoulders reassuringly, "I think it's just about time we got underway."

"I think so," Anakin said quietly, turning and watching as Padmé reached up and wiped away the tear that stood on her cheek. "I'm sure the others are waiting for us."

Obi-Wan watched them, quietly, as Anakin stepped over beside the bed and handed Padmé the box that Obi-Wan had given her; he watched quietly as she placed the meditation stone back into the box, and then tied the cord to secure the top. She held it tightly in her hand, watching as Anakin gently picked up Leia and placed her into her arms, and then picked up Luke, cradling him in his own.

They followed close behind Obi-Wan as he walked slowly over toward the door in front of them. "You sure that's everything?" he asked, as he opened the door and held it open for them.

"That's it," Anakin said, nodding his head as he glanced back around the small room where they had spent their first hours with their newborn children. "I think we've got everything," he said, looking back at Padmé once more. "Including the memories."

Obi-Wan smiled, as he watched Padmé take Anakin's free arm tightly in her own and lay her head quietly on his shoulder; he could feel the ache deep within her heart, and see the tears that stood in her eyes, shining in the soft light as she walked slowly at Anakin's side toward the doorway, cradling her newborn daughter tightly in her arm.

"Let's go then," Obi-Wan sighed, and he patted her reassuringly on the shoulder as she and Anakin stepped through the doorway into the hall. "It's time to go home," he said. "And you've both got a lot to do when you get there."

Obi-Wan watched as Anakin and Padmé started quietly down the hallway toward the exit; he took one last, long, deep breath, as he closed the door quietly, and then started down the hallway behind them.

* * *

"You okay?" Anakin asked softly, as he knelt in front of Padmé as she sat quietly on the bench in the main passenger compartment of the small ship; her eyes were bright, but he could see the tears that stood in them as she looked at the small, golden orb in her hands.

"Yeah," she said quietly, nodding her head as she reached up and wiped away the tear that began to trickle slowly down her cheek as she looked back at his warm, thoughtful face. "I was just thinking about how much things have changed," she said, her voice trembling slightly, as she looked back out of the ship's entry ramp behind Anakin; she could see Obi-Wan, as he handed the handful of rupendiis to the tall, gangly Massan. "And how much they're going to change when we leave here."

"I know," Anakin said, taking her hand gently in his and squeezing it tightly. "But it's going to be okay, Padmé," he said, nodding his head as he reached up and wiped away the tear that stood on her cheek as he caressed it gently. "We'll see them again," he said, smiling at her reassuringly. "I promise."

"It's not just that," Padmé said, as she smiled back at him, and then looked back down at the golden gem that rested in her hands. "I was just thinking about how special this is," she said, as they both looked at the stone quietly for a moment. "Obi-Wan bought this for you, not long after we parted all those years ago."

"It's the first thing I've ever held, that belonged to you when you were a child," she sighed, smiling brightly at him as she reached up and wiped her face again.

"It's yours now, Angel," Anakin said softly, and Padmé closed her eyes as he leaned forward and kissed her, very tenderly, for a long moment. Padmé opened her eyes slowly as their lips parted, and she reached up and caressed his cheek gently as he smiled back at her.

"Just like me," he said, watching her as she laughed softly and wiped her eyes again with her hand.

"Are they ready?" Anakin asked, looking back at the small basket that rested on the floor beside her; he reached over and pushed the blanket aside, smiling as he saw Luke and Leia's peaceful, sleeping faces.

"I think so," Padmé said, nodding her head as he looked back up at her. "They're both asleep," she said. "With a little luck, they'll sleep all the way home."

"As will I," they heard a gruff, but cheerful voice say behind them; they both looked up, just in time to see Yoda, as he walked up the small ramp and eyed the small ship with keen interest. "If handle the ship, Anakin can, without me."

"I think I can handle it, Master," Anakin replied with a nod, as he stood up and watched Yoda make his way into the small passenger compartment. "That cockpit's not really big enough for more than one person at a time, anyway," he said, nodding his head toward the small pilot's station at the nose of the ship. "There's just enough room for me and Artoo up there, as it is."

"Fortunate for me, at least, that is," Yoda chuckled, as he stopped and looked at Luke and Leia for a long moment, as they slept in the basket at Padmé's feet. "Slept well, I have not, for the past few evenings," he said, looking up at them with a grin. "Make up for it, I will on this trip, if need me, you do not."

"Make yourself comfortable, Master Yoda," Padmé said, as she nodded toward the small bench beside her. "I think you'll find that bench to be almost a perfect fit," she said, as she watched Yoda walk over and eye the small bench with a grin; it had been a little too small for her tastes, but it suited him perfectly.

"You two get settled," Anakin said, as he stood up, being careful not to bang his head on the low cabin ceiling. "I'll be right back."

Anakin watched, chuckling to himself, as Yoda wasted no time climbing up onto the small bench beside Padmé, and then began to chatter contentedly with her as he stretched himself out onto the thickly padded cushions. He shook his head slowly, smiling to himself, as he walked down the ramp and started over toward where Obi-Wan and Bail stood near the _Millennium Falcon_.

"I trust Ardenn was happy?" Anakin asked, as he reached up and ran his fingers through his hair as the wind gusted around the landing platform.

"Oh, yes," Obi-Wan sighed, nodding his head as he handed a few measly rupendiis back to Bail. "Here," he said, as he dropped them into Bail's outstretched hand. "You can save these for the next time we visit."

"Thanks," Bail said, chuckling to himself as he tucked the shiny, gold coins into his pocket. "Depending on how bad things get at home," he said, sighing deeply as he looked back up at Anakin and Obi-Wan, "they'll come in handy if Breha and I have to move here."

"Hopefully, if things go well, you won't have to do that," Obi-Wan said, narrowing his eyes as he looked up at the sky, as a clap of thunder rumbled in the distance; he glanced over at the horizon, and he could see the thick, angry clouds that rolled toward them.

"We'd better get moving," Obi-Wan said, looking back at his two companions as he placed his hands on the belt at his waist. "It'd probably be best if we get out of here before that storm front gets here," he said, looking back at Anakin. "The fewer bumps, the better, as far as the children and Padmé as concerned."

"Okay," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly; he turned his attention to Bail, as the tall, dark-haired senator extended his hand to him.

"I hate long goodbyes," Bail said, as he looked at Anakin thoughtfully as the young Jedi Knight took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "In fact, I hate goodbyes in general," he said, his own eyes shining brightly in the late afternoon light. "So I'll just say good journey, and may the Force be with you, and your family, Anakin."

"Thank you for everything, Bail," Anakin said, swallowing hard as he felt the lump in his throat as he spoke. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you, for everything you've done for all of us, and for Padmé," he said, nodding his head slowly. "If you ever need me, don't think twice about contacting me."

"Or you," Bail said, nodding his head firmly. "I've already told Padmé goodbye," he said quietly. "But give her another hug for me when you get home."

"I will," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly as Bail released his hand. He took a long, halting breath, as he swallowed again, hard, as he watched Bail turn and walk quickly up the _Falcon's_ main entry ramp.

Obi-Wan turned his attention toward Anakin; as he did, he caught sight of Anakin's weapon belt, and Anakin looked at him, curiously, as he suddenly snapped his fingers and turned his attention to his robes. "Damn," Obi-Wan said, as he reached underneath his cloak and into his tunic. "I almost forgot this," he said, as he turned and looked back up at Anakin with a grin.

"You'll be needing this," Obi-Wan said, as he extended his hand toward his young companion. "It'd be a real shame to break up a matched set."

Anakin looked down and smiled, as he saw his lightsaber resting in Obi-Wan's outstretched palm. "Are you sure don't want to keep it, Master?" Anakin said, as he reached down and took his weapon from his old master, rolling it thoughtfully in his hand in front of him.

"No, I'd better not," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head as he watched Anakin place it securely in the empty holster at his side. "Like you're so fond of saying, Anakin," he said, grinning slyly at his old apprentice, "I'd probably just lose it anyway. Besides," Obi-Wan said, raising his eyebrow slyly as he reached back into his robes, "I've got one that will do until I can build a new one."

Anakin looked down, and took a long, deep breath as he saw the familiar, curved weapon that rested in Obi-Wan's outstretched palm. "I hope you deactivated the homing beacon in that thing after you took it from him," Anakin said, looking back up at Obi-Wan thoughtfully as he watched his old master roll Darth Vader's weapon slowly in his hand.

"Oh yes," he said, nodding his head as he tucked the weapon securely back into his robes. "Right after he, uhm, gave it to me."

"Gave it to you, huh?" Anakin said, nodding his head and grinning slyly at his old master. "You'll have to tell me all about that, the next time we're together," he said. "And I don't want to wait too long to hear about it, either."

"It's a deal," Obi-Wan said, smiling widely and chuckling to himself. "Over dinner, at your house. And I won't eat for a week before I come."

"Not a problem," Anakin laughed, nodding his head firmly. "You can count on it."

They stood quietly for a long moment, as they realized that the time that they had tried so hard not to think about had finally come. "Well, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed, as Anakin turned his brightly shining eyes back toward him, "It looks like we're going to have to say goodbye for a while."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan for a long moment; he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, as he felt the incredible, powerful wave of emotions that swept over him.

Obi-Wan nodded his own head slowly, as he watched Anakin look down and close his eyes silently for a moment. "I know, my friend," he said quietly, as he reached up and squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly, struggling to keep his own emotions under control. "I know. And trust me, I feel the same way."

"I wish it didn't have to end this way, Master," Anakin said quietly, his voice trembling as he turned his glistening eyes back up to his old mentor.

"It's not the end, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, his own voice trembling as he nodded his head and smiled, as convincingly as he could, as he watched Anakin reach up and wipe away the tear that stood on his cheek. "Padmé's right," he said, nodding his head firmly. "There's always hope. And if you need proof of that, just go and look at your children."

"I know," Anakin said quietly, as he reached up and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his tunic. They looked at each other quietly, for a long moment, neither of them really knowing what to say, or how to say it. "When will I see you again, Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked quietly, as he took another long, deep breath.

"It'll probably be a while," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly. "Probably not until Padmé's ready for her Trials. It'd be too dangerous for us to risk it, before she's ready. But we can talk," Obi-Wan said, as he patted the belt at his waist. "I've got your encryption key right here. Just give me a call, if you need me for anything at all."

"You do the same, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly. "I'm here if you need me," he said. "For anything."

"I know, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, squeezing Anakin's shoulder again tightly. "If there's anything in this universe that I can count on," he said, nodding his head with a smile, "That's it."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and swallowed hard as Anakin stepped forward and hugged him, tightly. "Be careful, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"You too, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, and he squeezed Anakin's shoulders tightly as he released him. "Take care of Padmé and the young ones," he said. "And don't cut any corners on her training just because she's your wife."

"I promise," Anakin said, nodding his head as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve again.

"I'll talk to you in a few days, then, when we get settled on Tatooine," Obi-Wan said, as he started up the ramp behind him. "May the Force be with you, Anakin. Always."

"May the Force be with you, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head as he watched Obi-Wan turn and start up the ramp, as Bail powered up the _Falcon's_ main engines.

Anakin turned and trotted back across the hangar deck toward their small ship; he turned, as he heard Bail push the throttle and fire the _Falcon's_ landing thrusters, and he watched, a wave of emotions sweeping over him, as he watched the sleek, silver vessel lift slowly into the air above them, turning slowly as Bail moved her out away from the platform into open air. Anakin took a deep breath and sighed, deeply, as he watched the _Falcon_ fire her main impulse engine, and then take off quickly across the massive city; he watched her, as long as he could, until she disappeared into the thick, heavy clouds overhead.

He turned around, very slowly, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his tunic again, as he walked slowly up the narrow ramp and into their ship; he paused, looking back out for just a moment over the city behind him, and then pressed the button on the bulkhead, and made his way quickly toward the cockpit as the ramp closed behind him.

* * *

Anakin smiled, as he felt Padmé lean down and kiss him gently on his cheek, as he sat in the small, cramped pilot's cockpit; he closed his eyes, as he felt her wrap her arms around his neck and hug him tightly.

"You okay, baby?" Padmé asked quietly, as she knelt by his side and place her hand reassuringly on his cheek.

"Yeah," Anakin sighed, as he looked back at her warm, loving face. "I just hate goodbyes," he said quietly, as his bright, glistening eyes searched hers for a long moment.

"I know," she whispered, nodding her head slowly as she looked at him. "I do, too. But we'll see him again, Ani," she nodded, as reassuringly as she could. "You'll see."

"I know," Anakin said, closing his eyes as she leaned forward and hugged him again, as tightly as she could. "I know we will," he said, looking up at her with a smile as she released him from her embrace and knelt beside him again. "Because you're right," he said, as he reached up and placed his hand gently on her cheek. "There's always hope."

"Everybody ready back there?" Anakin asked after a moment, taking a deep breath as he glanced over his shoulder into the small, cramped passenger compartment.

"Threepio's a little nervous," Padmé said, grinning at him as she nodded her head toward the compartment behind her. "But that's nothing unusual."

"Sounds like things are getting back to normal already," Anakin said, as he reached down and powered up the ship's engines. "You'd better go get strapped in, Angel," Anakin said, turning his attention back to her again. "It's time to go home."

Anakin closed his eyes again, as Padmé leaned forward and kissed him tenderly for a long moment. "I love you," she said, smiling brightly at him as he opened his eyes and gazed fondly at her.

"I love you, too," Anakin smiled, as he watched her stand up beside him; she squeezed his hand tightly, and then turned and made her way back to the passenger compartment.

"Okay, everybody," Anakin shouted, as he brought the ship's engines up to full power. "Fasten your belts and hold on tight," he said, as he looked over at Artoo as he sat at the droid's station beside him. "The express shuttle for Naboo is now departing."

Anakin grinned, as he listened to Artoo whistle excitedly as he reached over and punched the thrusters; he pulled back on the control yoke, watching as the rain began to fall gently on the cockpit's windows in front of him, as he swung them out over open air, and then fired the main engines.

The tiny craft's engines hummed smoothly, as it climbed up over the city, and disappeared into the thick, rolling clouds above them, just as the rain began to fall again as Deyer's largest sun dipped below the horizon.


	19. Vanished - Without a Trace

_**Chapter 19: Vanished – Without A Trace**_

* * *

"Padmé," Anakin called over his shoulder, as he turned and looked back into the passenger compartment behind him, "you might want to come up here and see this."

He looked back out of the cockpit window, at the brilliant, blue and green planet that loomed below them, as he powered down the tiny craft's hyperdrive engine; he took a long, deep breath, sighing deeply as he watched the thick, white clouds swirl peacefully over the planet's deep, blue oceans. "There it is, Artoo," Anakin sighed, as he looked at his little astrodroid with a grin, watching him as he spun his sensors around toward the window behind him. "Home," he said, nodding his head slowly as he spoke. "In all its beautiful, green glory."

"Oh, wow," Anakin heard Padmé's soft, quiet voice exclaim, as he felt her hand on his shoulder; he looked up, watching her as she gazed out at their home planet as it spun, as lazily and peacefully as ever, amid the bright stars that dotted the blackness of space around it, as the larger of Naboo's suns peaked out from behind it, shrouding the planet in a brilliant, golden halo.

"Welcome home, Angel," Anakin said softly, reaching up and taking her hand in his as Padmé knelt slowly beside him, squeezing his arm tightly.

"I don't think it's ever looked so beautiful," Padmé said softly, as she turned and looked back out of the window, as Artoo beeped and whistled behind her. "Or so good."

"It'll look even better, in a few more minutes," Anakin nodded, as he glanced down at the display in front of him as Artoo's message scrolled quickly across it. "Because," he said, looking back at Padmé's smiling face, "Artoo says we've just been given clearance to land."

Anakin laughed quietly, as Padmé giggled and squeezed his arm tightly, and then, very quickly, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Take us home, Ani," she said, her eyes twinkling brightly as she smiled back at him. "And don't spare the thruster power."

"Yes, ma'am," Anakin nodded, as she kissed him on the cheek again; he watched her for a moment, looking over his shoulder as she stood up and headed quickly back into the passenger compartment.

He turned back to Artoo, as he heard him let fly with a long string of beeps and whistles; he glanced over at the display, a wide grin spreading across his face as he saw the translation scroll quickly across the screen. "I think you're right, Artoo," Anakin chuckled, as he looked back at the little droid and nodded his head. "I don't think I've ever seen her happier, either," he said, as he looked back down and engaged the ship's forward shields.

"And yes," he said, raising his eyebrow as he nodded his head firmly. "I think she's prettier than ever, too."

"Well, you heard her, Artoo," Anakin said, looking back at his little round companion with a nod. "Let's see what this little piece of junk can do," he said, as Artoo, whistling happily, swung his dome back toward his console and brought up the engine controls.

"Hang on tight back there," Anakin shouted over his shoulder, as he reached over and pushed the throttle hard; he looked back out of the cockpit window with a grin, as he pushed the control yoke forward and nosed them down into the thick, white clouds below them.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Obi-Wan asked, as he stepped up next to the _Falcon's _main pilot's chair.

"Not yet," Bail said, shaking his head slowly as he turned his attention back to the communications console beside him. "It's a bit early yet, though," he said, as he pressed the switch and locked the ship's sensor array into automatic mode. "We're still about an hour out of Coruscant. The beacon she's using is _very _low power," he said, looking back and watching as Obi-Wan took a seat in the copilot's chair beside him. "We probably won't be able to pick her up until we come out of light speed."

"Here," Obi-Wan said, turning and handing the cup in his hand to Bail as he sat down. "I stumbled across a bottle of brandy in the supply cabinet, I thought you might like some."

"You're a good man, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Bail said, raising his cup in salute as Obi-Wan laughed and leaned back in the co-pilot's seat. "I knew I put some in the galley when I bought this thing," he said, raising the cup to his lips. Obi-Wan watched him, holding his own cup in his hands, as Bail closed his eyes and took a long, slow sip.

"Outstanding," he sighed, as he leaned back in the pilot's chair and looked out of the _Falcon's _forward window, watching as the stars streaked by them as they zipped through hyperspace, the ship's engines humming smoothly beneath the deck.

"Speaking of outstanding," Obi-Wan said, glancing around the cockpit thoughtfully, "I must admit, this is quite a ship you've got, Bail," he said. "I don't know how we would have done any of this without her."

"Thank you," Bail said, nodding his head as he looked around the cockpit a moment, himself. "I have to admit, I'm pleased with how she's performed so far," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan. "I just hope she does just as well on the trip to Tatooine."

"I'm sure she will," Obi-Wan said, looking out of the window ahead of him. "You say this was her first voyage?"

"Yes," Bail said, nodding his head slowly as he took another sip from the cup in his hand. "I've only had her now, for about a month," he said. "When Master Yoda said he needed to get to Mustafar, and quickly, I thought she'd be our best option. I needed to take her on a shakedown cruise, anyway," he sighed, as he leaned back in his chair and looked at Obi-Wan.

"I'd say that was about as intense as any shakedown cruise you could hope for," Obi-Wan chuckled, nodding his head. "I don't know if the _Falcon's _still shaking, but I know I am," he sighed. "I haven't stopped since I helped deliver Luke and Leia in that infirmary back there."

"Well, that makes two of us," Bail sighed, nodding his head firmly. "I still haven't recovered from snatching you out of that hellhole I found you in, myself."

"Thank you for that, by the way," Obi-Wan said, chuckling to himself as he took a sip of the brandy in his cup. "You don't know how much I appreciate it."

"I can imagine," Bail chuckled, nodding his head as he looked back at Obi-Wan. "Quite a precarious little situation you were in there. I've been meaning to ask you," he said, watching as Obi-Wan turned and looked at him. "You mind telling me how you got there in the first place?"

"Well, why not?" Obi-Wan said, pausing as he took another sip from the cup in his hands "You want me to start from the beginning? I hope you don't mind boring stories."

"Bore me, my friend," Bail said, nodding his head firmly. "I've had quite enough excitement for the last few days, anyway," he chuckled. "A boring story would be quite welcome."

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, as he propped his boots up on the console in front of him. "It all started when I went to pay a quiet little visit to Anakin and Padmé on Naboo a few days ago."

"Ha," Bail laughed, nodding his head. "Doesn't it always start out that way?"

* * *

Sola couldn't remember the last time she had been this excited; she stood, her arm tight around her mother's shoulders, as she, Jobal, and Ruwee watched the small, battered ship descend slowly over the long, thick grass of the meadow where they stood.

Ruwee narrowed his eyes, lifting his hand to his face and shielding them as the late evening sun glinted brightly off the silvery-gray hull of the old ship, as its thrusters whipped the grass below it wildly as it turned slowly and dropped its landing gear.

"That's _not_ the ship she left in," he said, folding his arms across his chest and raising his eyebrow slyly as he turned and looked back at his wife, as she stood at Sola's side, her hands clasped tightly in front of her lips.

"Ruwee Naberrie!" Jobal exclaimed, reaching over and slapping him hard on the forearm; she smiled at him, as he rubbed his arm gingerly and grinned back at her. "Who cares what they come home in?" she said, as they watched the ship drop the last foot or so, settling to the ground with a thump.

"As long as they're on it, and they're okay," she sighed, shaking her head slowly, "I don't care if they had to come home in a damn cargo container."

"Hold on a second," Ruwee said, reaching over and grabbing Sola's arm as she started toward the ship, as it settled onto the ground twenty or so meters from them. "Give those thrusters a chance to cool down before you go running over there. That's an old ship," he said, looking back at the old, battered vessel as its engines began to whine down, slowly. "Those thrusters run pretty hot," he said, as Sola snorted and looked at him impatiently. "Anakin'll drop the ramp, just as soon as it's safe to go over there."

"Well, what's taking him so long?" she said, as she looked back at the ship impatiently as she watched the tall grass below the ship begin to wave, slower and slower, as the thrusters powered down.

Ruwee smiled, as he watched his wife and daughter fidget and squirm anxiously, as they waited for the loading ramp at the right side of the ship to open; he would never have admitted it to them, at this moment, but he was just as anxious to see his daughter and son-in-law as they were. He hadn't slept, more than a few hours a night, since Anakin had left, and even less since he had watched Padmé leave a few nights ago.

He glanced back at the ship, as he heard the tell-tale whine of the ramp's motors as it began to open, slowly. He looked back at Jobal and Sola, quite calmly, as they both looked at him, as anxiously as ever.

"Okay," he said, a wide, mischievous grin spreading across his weathered face as he looked at them both. "Let's go."

"Hey!" Sola exclaimed, as she watched her father suddenly sprint across the meadow toward the ship. "Wait for us!"

Hand in hand, Sola and her mother ran, as quickly as they could, after her father as the ramp on the ship descended slowly to the ground.

* * *

Anakin blinked his eyes, as he ducked his head and stepped out onto the top of the ramp; he raised his hand and shielded his eyes, as the evening sun shone brightly over the treetops directly in front of him. The brilliant, shimmering gold light was a welcome sight, indeed; he had grown so used to the dreary skies of the planets that they had been on over the past few days, that he'd almost forgotten what beautiful, golden sunlight looked like.

It only took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright evening sunlight, and a wide grin spread across his face, as he heard the familiar, welcome voice call to him across the meadow.

"It's about time you got here, boy," Ruwee exclaimed, as Anakin started down the ramp as his father-in-law ran toward him, laughing heartily. "We were beginning to think you weren't coming!"

"You know better than that," Anakin laughed, as he walked quickly down the ramp as he saw Sola and Jobal running close behind him. "I had to come home and make sure you haven't broken anything down at the shop."

Yoda stepped up slowly to the edge of the ramp; he rested his hands on his small cane, watching quietly as Anakin stepped off the ramp, just as Ruwee reached him. He smiled and laughed softly to himself, as he watched Ruwee embrace Anakin tightly, as they both laughed excitedly.

"By all that's sacred, it's sure good to see you, boy," Ruwee laughed, as he released Anakin from his tight embrace, squeezing his shoulders tightly. "You don't know how badly we missed you two."

"Yes, I do," Anakin said, grinning widely as he placed his hands on Ruwee's shoulders, squeezing them tightly. "Almost as much as we missed you."

"Anakin!" Sola exclaimed, as he turned his smiling face to her, just as she reached him. He closed his eyes, laughing contentedly, as she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Ooofff!" Anakin grunted, playfully, as Sola, for all intensive purposed, leapt into his arms, laughing happily. "It's good to see you too, Sola," Anakin laughed, as he patted her back soundly as she squeezed him, as hard as ever.

"Oh, it's so good to see you, Anakin," she exclaimed, looking up at him with a vibrant smile and tussling his hair playfully as she released him from her tight embrace. "We were so worried about you both," she said, as she watched Anakin turn and look at Jobal warmly as she reached up and hugged him, almost as tightly as Sola had.

"Welcome home, son," Jobal said, her voice trembling as she hugged him as hard as she could. "We missed you so much."

"We missed you too, Mom," Anakin said, as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly as she hugged him; he opened his eyes, looking back at her with a grin as she placed her hands on his face, holding it tightly.

"We were so worried about you both," she said, her eyes glistening brightly from the tears that stood in them as she looked up at him fondly.

"I know," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly, as he took her hands and squeezed them tightly. "But we're both fine," he said, looking back at the three faces that smiled brightly at him. "I made you all a promise, remember?"

"Where's Padmé?" Sola asked, as she looked up toward the ship. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Anakin nodded. "She's just getting her things together. You know how she is," he added. "Threepio's helping her. She'll be out in just a minute."

"But I have someone for you all to meet, while we're waiting on her," Anakin said quickly, as he turned and looked back at the ship behind him, as he heard the familiar rap of Yoda's cane on the smooth, metal ramp.

Jobal, Sola, and Ruwee all gazed, in silent amazement, at the small, large-eared individual that smiled at them pleasantly as he walked slowly down the ramp toward them. "Mom, Dad, Sola," Anakin said, looking back at them with a grin, "I'd like you all to meet Master Yoda."

"Yoda?" Sola said softly, reaching over and grabbing Anakin's arm tightly as she looked at him, shocked. "_The _Yoda?"

"Yes," Anakin laughed, softly, nodding his head as he saw the look of pure amazement on her astonished face. "_That _Yoda."

"Master Yoda," Anakin said, "I'd like you to meet my family," he said, looking back at Yoda with a grin, "or at least the part of it that's here right now."

"A pleasure, it is, to finally meet you all," Yoda said, walking over to Anakin's side and looking up at the three, astonished individuals that gazed down at him. "A great deal about you all, I have heard."

"The pleasure is ours, Master Yoda," Sola said, nodding her head as the little Jedi Master smiled up at her. "We've heard a great deal about you."

"And I, of you, Sola," Yoda said, nodding his head politely at her as he rested his hands on his small cane. "Speaks very fondly of you, your sister Padmé, does."

"Welcome, Master Yoda," Ruwee nodded, as he extended his hand toward him politely. "Anakin speaks very highly of you," he said, looking back at his son-in-law fondly. "You honor our home with your presence."

"It is I, who am honored, Master Naberrie," Yoda said, taking Ruwee's hand and squeezing it tightly as he looked up at him. "By your kind welcome, and by the service of your son, and your daughter, to the Republic."

Yoda turned his attention to Jobal, as she looked down at him with an astonished smile. "A long time, have I waited, for this honor," Yoda said, as he reached up and took Jobal's hand gently in his own. "An honor it is, indeed, to finally meet the mother of one who has served the Republic so tirelessly," he said, bowing his small head reverently.

"A tireless servant, of peace and justice, your daughter has been, for many years," Yoda said, opening his eyes and smiling up at her warmly. "Proud, I know you must be, of all that she has accomplished," he said, as he looked back at Anakin, "both now, and in years past."

"Thank you, Master Yoda," Jobal said, nodding her head and smiling, very warmly, at him as he looked up at her. "There's not much more that a mother can hope for, than to hear her daughter spoken of so highly, " she said, as she looked back at Anakin.

"Or to see her cared for by one who loves her so deeply and completely," she said, as she gazed at Anakin, very proudly.

"Speaking of your daughter," Yoda said, as he released Jobals's hand and looked up at them again, "about time it is, I think, that you welcomed her home, hmm?"

"A surprise, I believe, she has for them, does she not, Anakin?" Yoda said, cocking his head and looking up at Anakin with a sly grin, as he heard Padmé's footsteps on the ramp behind him.

"Or two," Anakin chuckled, as he and Yoda watched Ruwee, Jobal, and Sola turn their attention from Yoda to the ship behind them.

Anakin began to laugh, as he saw the look on their faces; he had known that Yoda's presence would distract them, but he couldn't have hoped for it to work more perfectly than it had. He watched the three of them, laughing softly to himself, as they all watched, in silent, shocked wonder, as Padmé walked slowly down the ramp toward them, her lovely face beaming brightly as she carried Luke and Leia carefully in her arms.

"Oh, my go..." Sola exclaimed softly, as she cupped her face in her hands and looked back at Anakin, as he reached over and squeezed her arm gently as he continued to laugh softly.

"Surprise," Anakin laughed, as he looked back at Sola's brightly shining eyes; he couldn't really tell if she was laughing, or crying, as she turned her eyes back to her sister as she walked carefully down the ramp in front of them.

Yoda chuckled to himself, as he stepped back slowly, making room for Padmé as she stepped off the ramp and walked slowly over toward her mother and father; he looked up at them, smiling as he sensed the warm emotions that flowed over them all as they stood, completely silent, watching as Padmé stopped in front of them.

"Hi, Mom, Dad," Padmé said softly, her own eyes glistening brightly as she looked at her mother and father; Jobal stood silently at Ruwee's side, her hands cupped over her mouth, as she turned her tear-filled eyes from the two, tiny babies that wiggled in her daughter's arms to her beautiful, radiant face, as Anakin walked over and placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

"I'd like for the two of you to meet your new grandchildren," Padmé laughed softly, as she turned her eyes to the two precious babies in her arms. "Luke and Leia Skywalker."

"Leia," Padmé said, looking down at her daughter fondly as she stepped up to her mother and placed her gently into her arms, "I'd like you to meet your grandmother," she said softly, as she looked fondly up to her mother once more. "Jobal Naberrie."

Padmé laughed softly, as she placed her free arm around Jobal's waist and hugged her tightly as she gazed, in silent wonder, at the beautiful, dark-haired baby girl in her arms.

"If I remember right, Dad," Anakin said, reaching down and taking Luke gently from Padmé's arm, as she smiled up at him, "I promised I'd bring you back something when I came home," he said, looking up at his father-in-law with a wide grin.

"I brought you something really special," Anakin said, as he looked down at his newborn son proudly, as he placed him gently into his grandfather's arms. "Your grandson," Anakin said, as he reached up and squeezed his shoulder tightly as Ruwee looked, through the haze of tears in his own eyes, at the blond-haired baby boy that gazed up at him.

"I'm not quite sure what he wants you to call him, Luke," Anakin said, looking down at his son fondly as he placed his hand on Ruwee's shoulder and stepped over to his side. "You'll just have to talk to him about that, okay?"

Yoda sighed deeply, as he watched the five of them as they gathered around the two tiny babies in their arms in a tight circle; Padmé had been right. There always would be hope, and here was the proof, as he watched Anakin and Padmé introduce their two precious children to their family.

Truly wonderful and marvelous, were the ways of the Force, he thought to himself, as he felt the love that flowed so freely between Anakin and Padmé's hearts, as they watched their family spend their first precious moments with their newborn children.

Yet here was a family that, by all the rules and regulations that had been set down through the centuries by the Jedi Order, never should have existed. Yet in his eight hundred and seventy-five years, he had never known two people that loved more deeply, more completely, than the two that stood before him now.

He shook his head slowly, humbled greatly, as he realized that it was, ultimately, upon that love that their future now rested. Not only Anakin and Padmé's future, or Luke and Leia's, but the future of an entire galaxy itself, a future that, he knew in his heart, would have been entirely different, had Anakin and Padmé not made that single, solitary decision so long ago.

Padmé was right, and here was the proof. Anakin and Padmé's love had triumphed over every obstacle that had been thrown against it. It had flourished, in perfect harmony, against untold odds, in a world that had denied that it could ever be. It had saved Anakin from the terrible power of the Dark Side, allowing him to become all that the Force had truly intended for him to be, and had allowed Padmé to become more than she had ever dreamed.

A remarkable thing, he thought to himself, as he looked back up at them quietly, that one as old as he could still be reminded of a truth so simple, something that he should have learned, through the wisdom of the Force, many, many years ago.

Padmé was right; there would always be hope. Love would make sure of that.

* * *

"Hey," Bail quipped, reaching over and slapping Obi-Wan soundly on his shoulder several times. "Wake up," he said, as he watched Obi-Wan jerk and open his eyes. "We're getting a signal."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, as he struggled to rouse himself from the deep sleep he had fallen into; the copilot's station where he sat was quite comfortable, indeed, and given that he hadn't slept more than a few hours at a time since their ordeal had begun, the comfortable, thickly padded chair had lulled him to sleep quite quickly.

"And get your boots off the console," Bail grinned, watching as his Jedi companion dropped his boots to the deck in front of him and leaned forward, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry," Obi-Wan said, grinning slyly as Bail punched up the controls on the com station between them. "You said we were getting a signal?" he asked, as he watched Coruscant's skyline come slowly into view as Bail brought them out of the heavy clouds and down toward the capital city below them; the lights of the city twinkled brightly through the haze, like brilliant jewels in the ocean of darkness below them.

"Just now," Bail nodded, his eyes watching the console intently as he quickly tapped the controls. "It's very low power, and audio only," he said, as Obi-Wan looked out of the window toward the city below. "It's Breha."

"Looks like we timed it perfectly," Obi-Wan said, looking back from the window toward his companion. "I, for one, don't mind doing this under the cover of darkness," he said, shaking his head slowly. "I'll take all the help we can get."

"I couldn't agree more," Bail nodded, as he pressed the switch on the com station. "Go ahead, Breha," he said, listening intently to the faint, crackling signal coming over the cockpit's audio system. "We're listening."

Obi-Wan frowned, as he wiped his still sleepy eyes and listened to the faint transmission as he heard her small voice amid the static.

"_Bail?"_ he heard Breha's voice call, small and broken. "_Bail, c... you hear me?"_

Obi-Wan's frown deepened, as he heard Breha's nervous, worried voice; a padawan could have sensed it - she was frightened, deeply.

"We can hear you, Breha," Bail frowned, as he struggled to hear his wife's troubled voice though the ocean of static that flowed around it. "Your signal is very weak," he said, glancing back at Obi-Wan. "Can you boost your power a bit?"

_"No_," Breha's voice called back, nervous and broken. "_It's far t... risky. Bail, you need to hurry. The city is crawling wi... troops, and I don't know how long we ca... keep hiding here."_

"Are you and the children safe?" Bail asked, his own tone growing much more concerned as he and Obi-Wan both strained their ears as Bail tapped the controls quickly, trying to filter out some of the city's electromagnetic interference. "Where are you?"

_"For the moment,_" Breha said nervously. "_We're in th... old warehouse distr... just east of the Nandori Center. The old shipment processing building, the small... of the three. Can y... hear me, Bail?"_

"We hear you," Bail nodded, as he listened to her voice intently. "I know right where you are. Stay put, we'll be there in less than thirty minutes."

_"Hurry, Bail,"_ Breha's deeply anxious voice called. "_The children... frightened, and so am I. I don't know how much long... we can hide here."_

"That's not good," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head as Bail turned his eyes toward him. "If Vader or Sidious are looking for the children, they'll be able to sense them."

"Those children need to stay as calm as possible," Obi-Wan said, his tone easily conveying the importance of what he was telling Bail now. "Is Shanda with them?"

"Breha," Bail asked, as he turned the Falcon toward the eastern part of the capital city and pushed the impulse engines a little harder, "Is Shanda there with you?"

_"Yes,_" Breha answered. "_She's right here with me."_

"Breha," Obi-Wan said, as calmly and comfortingly as possible, "Let me speak with Shanda for a moment."

Obi-Wan listened, as the sound of static filled the cabin for a moment, and he smiled as he heard Shanda's soft, familiar voice appear suddenly amid the hisses and crackles.

_"Yes, Master Obi-Wan,"_ Shanda called. "_This is Shanda._"

"Shanda," Obi-Wan said, as comfortingly as he could manage, "Bail and I will be there to get you in a few moments," he said, as Bail swung the_ Falcon_ gracefully through the towering buildings around them. "It's very important that you keep the children as calm as possible until we get there."

"Do you remember Master Yoda's meditation exercises, the ones he teaches the little ones?" Obi-Wan asked, as he looked back at the console in front of him.

_"Yes,_" Shanda replied. "_It's been a long time, but I think... still remember them."_

"I want you to sit the children down and have them practice those exercises," Obi-Wan said. "Tell them you're their master 'till I get there, and you want them to practice. Understand?"

Obi-Wan smiled, as he heard Shanda's quick reply. "_Yes, Master Obi-Wan,"_ she said. _"I'll do it now."_

"We'll be there as quickly as we can," Bail said, as he and Obi-Wan exchanged glances for a moment. "Just sit tight."

_"Hurry, Bail,"_ Breha answered, her voice as nervous as ever. "_Please hurry."_

Bail took a deep, troubled breath, as he pressed the switch on the com station; he and Obi-Wan exchanged a long, thoughtful glance, and Bail watched as Obi-Wan reached down to his belt and took Ardmak's saber in his hand, squeezing it tightly as he turned and looked back out of the window in front of him. Bail looked at the Jedi Master beside him for a long moment, and then turned his attention back to the window in front of him, as he reached over and pushed the _Falcon's_ impulse engines as hard as he dared, as he whipped the ship in and out of the maze of buildings in front of them.

Something was wrong; Bail didn't need to be a Jedi to sense that.

* * *

The tall, gaunt crewman walked quickly down the narrow hallway that led to the Interceptor's upper command crew decks. The sound of his boots echoed through the hallway as he walked, his steps small and measured as he carried the tray in his fingers, the heavy, tan liquid in the smooth glass cylinder on the center of the tray sloshing thickly back and forth as he stopped in front of the door to the quarters at the far end of the hall.

He stopped, turning his eyes to the control pad beside the doorway; he hesitated, as he balanced the tray carefully in one hand, and raised the other up toward the control pad beside the door.

Ensign Rush paused for a long moment; he swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest, as he stared at the control pad, his fingers trembling just over it; even he and his companions in the ship's galley had heard the hushed rumors that had been circulating through the Interceptor's halls for the past several days.

_It's all nonsense,_ he thought to himself, as he placed his hand on the control pad and swallowed again, hard; none of that could have been true. _It's just the crewmen trying to stir things up again. General Tarkin's going to be very upset if he hears this poodoo_. He paused again, as he started to press the button to ring the quarter's bell.

_What if it wasn't,_ he thought to himself, as his trembling fingertips rested gently on the smooth, cold button; he had heard the stories from his crewmates, horrible stories, of what had supposedly happened on those lower decks, shortly after those clone transports had arrived several days ago and whisked their hidden, secret cargo to the Interceptor's medical labs. One of his crewmates had told him how he had seen the General himself, and Emperor Palpatine, being whisked away from the medlab when the ship's alarm bells had gone off the day before, and of the angry gash above General Tarkin's blood covered face as the two troopers led them down the hallway and sealed the doors behind them.

It had been a weapons malfunction, the crew had been informed, and the ship's medical lab had remained sealed from that moment; only the Emperor himself had returned, alone, to the medlab later that evening, and whisked the dark clad, helmeted individual from the lab to the command deck directly above him.

He had been the only survivor of the terrible accident, they had been told, and they had been given strict orders to ask no further questions. The medlab had been destroyed, and six troopers and two of their most decorated physicians had died, when whatever happened in that dark, sealed medlab had... happened.

Some said it was a rupture in the power cell of one of the guard's rifles, that it had ignited a container of oxygen nearby, causing a series of explosions that had ripped the medlab, and those in it near him, to pieces. Others, however, told a completely different story, a macabre tale of mysterious forces, of how he had somehow destroyed almost everything, and everyone, around him when they had awakened him. They had heard his angry screams, they had told him, all the way down to the flight deck below them, for an instant before the ship's alarm bells masked the terrible, anguished cries, and the sounds of the screams of those around him.

None of them knew much about him; he had never even seen him, or heard anything about him, until General Tarkin had informed them that Lord Vader was now second in command of the newly formed Imperial Navy, second only to Emperor Palpatine himself. He was to be given the utmost respect, Tarkin had informed them earlier, the same respect due to the Emperor, and he was to be given a wide berth, without any exceptions. He remembered how he had seen the new, pink scar on the General's forehead, the same one that his crewmates had been whispering about the day before. He wondered, as he took a deep breath and pressed the button on the console, just how much of what he had heard was true.

Ensign Rush placed his trembling hand back under the tray, steadying himself as he heard the two long tones echo from behind the door in front of him. He waited, his heart pounding in his chest, as the door remained silent and still. Perhaps he's not here, he thought to himself, a narrow smile of relief spreading across his face as he allowed himself the indulgence of hope, a hope that he would simply be able to return to his commanding officer and inform him that he would have to send another later.

Rush jumped, reaching up and steadying the glass container as the door suddenly hissed loudly and slid open; he stood silent for a moment, looking into the eerie, red glow that filled the room ahead of him with a sense of growing dread. He took a deep, trembling breath and, walking as quietly and quickly as he could, he stepped through the doorway and into the macabre, crimson glow.

He turned and looked at the door, as it slid quickly shut behind him; he swallowed again, hard, as he felt a deep sense of dread begin to sweep over him as he heard the dark, sinister voice behind him, as his ears suddenly heard the slow, mechanical hiss that filled the room around him.

"Well?" the dark, angry voice snapped, as he turned around quickly and stood up at attention, as stiffly as his trembling body would allow. "What is it, Ensign?"

Ensign Rush felt himself begin to tremble even more, as his eyes focused on the dark, forboding form that stood near the window in the corner of the room, silhouetted against the field of stars and the darkness of space beyond it; he could see no details, and for that he was truly thankful, as his eyes took in the fearsome sight. He towered at least seven feet tall, the dim, crimson light of the room glinting off of the glossy, black helmet that rested atop his long, black cloak.

"Lo-Lord Vader," Ensign Rush stammered, the tray in his hands trembling as he spoke. "Commander Bartellow sends me to inform you that he has received an urgent message regarding the search effort," he said, as he watched Vader's dark cloak swirl as the dark, sinister form turned slowly toward him.

"What is it?" Vader asked, his deep, resonate voice echoing through the room around them as he turned and looked at the trembling ensign from the shadows; he could sense the fear, the dread that flowed through the young officer as he stood before him.

"They commander says that they have received information regarding the whereabouts of some of the renegades from the Jedi Temple," Ensign Rush said, his voice trembling as he stood at sharp attention, watching as Vader took several steps toward him, still concealed in the shadows. "He says that they are reportedly hiding in the warehouse district, to the east of the city proper. He awaits your command."

"Tell him to wait at the main docking platform near the Senate Building," Vader's replied, the slow, steady hiss of his breathing system filling the room as he spoke. "I'll meet him there in twenty minutes."

"Ye-yes, sir," Ensign Rush stammered, as he glanced back down at the cylinder of liquid on the tray in front of him. "And, Commander Dewey in the galley asked that I bring this to you, as well," he said, looking up at Vader's sinister, shadowy form as he tried hard to force a small smile, as he held the tray out in front of him.

Rush's smile faded, quickly, as he watched Vader take several steps toward him; he could hear his blood pumping in his ears as his heart pounded wildly, and he felt his breath catch in his throat as the dim, crimson lights in the room cast an eerie glow to the fearsome, horrific mask that stared down at him.

"Leave it," Darth Vader growled, placing his gloved hands on the belt at his waist, as he glared down at the terrified young ensign. "And get out."

"Ye-yes, sir," Rush stammered, as he placed the tray quickly on the small table in front of him; he turned, as quickly as his trembling legs would allow, and walked quickly toward the doorway behind him.

Vader watched, in silence, as Ensign Rush's trembling fingers searched the control pad for a second, and then disappeared quickly through the door as it opened, and then closed quickly behind him.

Vader turned around, quickly, and walked to the com station that stood near the small table in the center of the room. He reached down and touched the control pad, listening intently as he heard the voice on the other end as the channel opened.

"Yes, Lord Vader?" the flight deck commander's voice answered briskly.

"Have my troops standing by," Darth Vader said, as he glared down at the com station in front of him. "I'll meet them on the flight deck in five minutes."

"Yes, Lord Vader." the commander replied obediently. "At once."

Vader released the switch on the com station; he turned around slowly, and stood silently for a moment as he glared at the tall, liquid-filled canister on the tray in front of him. He picked it up, looking at it with contempt, as he turned it slowly in his hand, watching as the thick, viscous liquid trailed along the inside of the glass as he moved it.

He could feel the hate swelling inside of him, as he reached down with his gloved hand and unsnapped the small panel just below the control pad on his chest; he took the heavy, clear tube from the compartment behind it, watching as it uncoiled neatly from its compartment as he brought it to the container in his gloved hand.

He had Kenobi to thank for this, he thought to himself, as he felt the contempt and hatred growing inside of him as he snapped the tube's end onto the connector near the bottom of the glass cylinder; he pressed the button on the control pad at his chest, watching with a growing sense of utter, complete hatred as he watched the thick, brown liquid begin to drop slowly in the cylinder.

It was all his biological systems needed, the droid had told him, and he watched as the thick, syrupy contents of the container siphoned slowly into what was left of his digestive track, the small pump embedded in his abdomen clicking slowly as it pushed the life sustaining liquid into his mangled, decimated body.

But it was the certainty of Obi-Wan Kenobi's death that he needed, the sweet knowledge that he had indeed perished, as he had been told, on that catwalk in that dark, terrible cavern on Mustafar, that his dark, angry soul hungered for.

He was satisfied enough that Skywalker, and his woman, had perished in the skies above that dark, angry planet; they had the evidence, they'd seen the wreckage of his ship, and he had held the burned, charred hilt of the light saber they had found among its wreckage in his own hands when his dark Master had presented it to him.

But it was the uncertainty of Kenobi's death, the nagging, terrible thought that he might be alive, that gnawed at what was left of his stomach; he wished, more than anything, that he had been able to see him, watch him gasp for his last breath, as he had watched Mace Windu, just before he took his head. If he had a soul, he would have traded it, and happily, for the same pleasure with the Jedi who put him in this damnable suit, left him a mixture of machine, circuits, and mangled flesh.

He heard the pump shut off, as the last of the liquid left the container, and he unsnapped the tube from it and let it recoil slowly into its compartment; he snapped the small cover shut, and then raised the empty container up in front of him, glaring at it for a long moment, as he felt the wave of anger and hatred continue to grow inside of him.

"I hope you're not dead, Kenobi," Vader growled, as he glared at the container angrily. "Because if you aren't, I'll find you. And I'll kill you myself."

He stood silently for a long moment, and then, with a loud, angry cry, he spun around on his heels and flung the glass container hard at the wall of his chamber, watching as it shattered and flew across the room, the dim, crimson lights reflecting off of the shards as they fell to the floor around him.

Darth Vader's cold, rhythmic breathing echoed off the walls around him, as he walked quickly to the doorway; he pounded his gloved fist on the wall beside the door, stepping through it quickly and disappearing down the corridor, his long black cloak swirling around him as he made his way to the flight deck.

* * *

Breha sat quietly on the bottom of the narrow staircase; she wrapped her arms around herself tightly, as another cool chill ran down her spine as she sat in the dim light, watching the children as they sat in a tight group not far from her.

She had given the last of the blankets that they had brought with them to the three children that sat closest to her, and she watched them for a long moment as they sat quietly, with their eyes closed and their hands folded in their laps, as they listened to Shanda's soothing voice.

Breha smiled, as she watched the tall, long-haired teenager speak to them, her voice soft and comforting as she spoke and watched the little group of youngsters intently; she had followed Obi-Wan's instructions without question, to the letter, and she couldn't have been more proud of the bright, young girl if she had been her own daughter.

Breha smiled up at her, as Shanda walked slowly over to the staircase where she sat, glancing back over her shoulder at the children as they sat, meditating quietly. "Master Obi-Wan will be very proud of you," Breha said, looking up at the young, dusky-haired girl proudly.

"I haven't done much," Shanda sighed, looking back over her shoulder at the children for another moment. "I just feel like I'm all they have left of their lives right now," she said, as she pulled the blanket over her shoulders tight around her; the air was cool and damp, and she turned around and looked at Breha again, watching as she rubbed her shoulders and shivered again.

"Here," Shanda said, as she walked quickly to the narrow staircase and tossed her blanket around Breha as she sat down beside her. "Share mine," she said, looking up at Breha face with a smile. "You're freezing."

"Thank you, Shanda," Breha said softly, as she placed her arm over the young girl's shoulder and snuggled close beside her, as they pulled the thick blanket close around them. "It is a little cold in here," she said with a chill in her voice, as they both looked at the children quietly for a long moment.

"What's going to happen to them?" Shanda asked finally, turning her worried face back to Breha again. "And me?"

"You're all going to be fine," Breha said, nodding her head slowly as she smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm sure that Master Obi-Wan knows what to do, and he's on his way," she said, looking up at the skylight above them thoughtfully for a moment, as she heard the sound of the ship that approached them; they both sat, looking up nervously through the skylight, as they watched the transport that passed over them, its running lights flashing brightly as it sped over the small warehouse, and then continued on into the darkness.

"We just need to hang on a little longer," she said, as she and Shanda both shared a sigh of relief as they looked back at the children again and held onto each other a little tighter. "Just a little longer."

* * *

"What about there?" Obi-Wan said, as he leaned close over Bail's shoulder and pointed to the small group of dilapidated, run-down buildings at the edge of the warehouse district. "Will that be close enough?"

"Maybe," Bail said, nodding his head as he swung the Falcon in low over the tops of the buildings and fired the breaking thrusters as he descended quickly toward the area that Obi-Wan had selected. "It's not exactly a great neighborhood, and I'm not too thrilled about bringing those children through here," Bail said, watching the console in front of him as he began to turn the Millenium Falcon and descent quickly toward the empty lot beside the old, crumbling buildings.

"But it's better than landing directly at the warehouse," Bail said with a nod, as he punched up the Falcon's landing sequence, watching as several shady characters bolted for cover below them as they descended quickly toward the ground, the Falcon's landing thrusters kicking up huge clouds of dust and grit into the air below them. "We'd better watch our step. This area can be a little rough."

"Well, they'd better watch theirs," Obi-Wan said, as he watched Bail stand up from the pilot's chair as the landing gear touched the ground with a solid thump; he tossed the blaster pistol and holster to his dark-haired companion, watching with a smile as he snatched it from the air and strapped it quickly around his waist. "I'm in no mood for shenanigans," Obi-Wan said, as he held his light saber up in front of him and squeezed it tightly.

"Let's go," Obi-Wan said, as he reached over and punched the controls for the ramp, watching as it descended quickly to the ground below them. "We don't have much time."

* * *

Commander Bartellow watched as the narrow, long-range shuttle dropped to the Senate Building's main landing platform and began to lower its rear entry ramp; he took a deep breath, as he snapped his head around and looked at the battalion of troopers that stood behind him.

"Listen up," he snapped, watching as his men immediately assumed formation and fell into a hushed silence. "Look sharp, and I don't want to hear a word out of any of you, unless you're spoken too."

He turned and watched, somewhat anxiously, as the tall, dark clad form of Darth Vader descended the ramp and began to walk quickly toward him across the platform. "Attention!" Bartellow shouted, as his men snapped their weapons up to their sides and stood perfect still. "Lord Vader has arrived."

"Awaiting your orders, sir," Bartellow snapped cleanly, as he nodded his head and brought himself to full attention as Vader's towering, sinister form approached him. He stood, his heart thumping in his chest, watching silently as Vader quickly turned his dark, sinister mask from him and surveyed his men for a moment.

"What have you found, Commander?" Vader asked, placing his hands on his belt and turning his attention back to Bartellow again.

"We received word from an informant a short time ago," Bartellow said, as he handed the small datapad in his hand to Darth Vader and turned his helmeted face up toward his towering form. "He said he observed a small transport as it arrived in the warehouse district a short distance from here, on the eastern side of the city," Bartellow said, raising his arm and gesturing toward the east, watching as Vader turned his head and gazed quietly in that direction.

"They appeared to be transporting children, sir, a large number of them," Bartellow said, as Vader looked back at him. "The informant said that their dress fit the description of some of the ones we've been searching for."

"I felt it was best that we wait until you arrive with further orders," Bartellow said, as Darth Vader's menacing form stared down at him. "It's possible that at least some of the Jedi we're looking for might be trying to help them."

"Good work, Commander," Vader said, nodding his dark, helmeted head slowly. "Assemble your men immediately, and proceed as quietly as possible to these coordinates," he said, as he handed the datapad back to Bartellow. "I'll be coming with you."

"Yes, sir," Bartellow said, as he turned and followed closely behind Vader as he walked quickly toward the troop transport at the far end of the platform. "Move it, double time," Bartellow snapped, as he looked back at his men. "Let's go!"

* * *

Obi-Wan turned around quickly, as he reached up and pressed the switch on the Falcon's underbelly; he watched, his brow furrowing, as the small group of rough-looking characters approached them from the darkness as the ramp near where he and Bail stood began to close quickly.

He glanced up, watching as the ramp closed securely, and he reached up over his head and quickly keyed in the lock sequence; the Falcon's lights went dark, except for the single light near her landing ramp, as the onboard computer locked out her controls.

"Well, well, well," the tall, hairy individual said gruffly, as the small group of men began to approach them. "What have we got here?" he asked, glancing up at the Falcon greedily. "A fine looking ship and only two people to fight for her," he said, his grimy, green teeth slipping out from beneath his lips as they curled into a sinister smile.

Obi-Wan glanced over at Bail, and the two of them looked at each other for a moment, as the small group of thugs reached under their clothes and produced an array of strange weapons as they began to fan out around them; Obi-Wan glance down, watching as Bail unsnapped the catch that secured his blaster into his holster.

"We don't have time for this," Obi-Wan whispered under his breath, as he shook his head slowly. "Let me see if I can reason with them."

"Look," Obi-Wan said agitatedly, turning his attention back to the tall, hairy ringleader that stood a short distance from him. "We've just come a long way, we're tired, and we've got some very important business to attend to," he said, as he took several steps toward the tall, scruffy ringleader and glared at him. "We don't want any trouble."

"He doesn't want any trouble," the green-toothed individual laughed, as he pointed his pistol directly at Obi-Wan and looked back at his companions, as they all leveled their own weapons at the two seemingly helpless individuals in front of them.

Obi-Wan glanced down at the pistol in the man's thick, grimy fingers for a second, and then turned his scowling face back up toward him as he took a step closer to him and leaned his face toward him; he could see his grimy, green teeth clearly, and, even worse, smell the man's breath, even from this distance. Obi-Wan's nerves were frazzled enough already, and this cretin was beginning to test his last good one.

"What a shame," the man snickered, as he grinned widely at Obi-Wan and lifted his pistol up, pointing it directly between Obi-Wan's eyes. "You should have picked a different place to set that fancy ship down, then, my friend," he laughed, as he looked down and, very unceremoniously, spit on the toe of Obi-Wan's boot.

"Shine those for me, will you friend?" the man quipped, baring his green teeth even more as his smile widened. "They look like they're just my size."

Obi-Wan glanced down at his boot for a moment, as the rag-tag group around them began to burst into loud laughter. "Too bad you don't want trouble, " the man snickered, as he watched Obi-Wan stare quietly at his boot. "I'd say you've got quite a problem on your hands, fancy man," the man laughed, as he watched Obi-Wan look back up at him, very slowly.

Bail closed his eyes and shook his head, as he watched the tall, hairy man lean back and laugh heartily. "Mmm," he sighed, as he lowered his head and shook it slowly. "Big mistake," he groaned.

"Very big mistake," he said, as he raised his head and watched, as Obi-Wan suddenly reached out and snatched the pistol from the man's hand with lightning speed, flinging it to the ground in front of Bail's feet as he seized the man tightly by the neck of his tunic and brought the brilliant blue blade of his lightsaber up below his throat.

"No, my friend," Obi-Wan growled, as he twisted the man's collar tightly and pushed him to his knees on the ground in front of him, "I'd say it's you that's got the problem."

Bail could see the fear that coursed through the man's terrified eyes, as the angry Jedi glared at him and brought his brilliant, humming blade to within microns of his fat, grimy neck. "Told you," Bail said, unholstering his weapon and shaking his head slowly as he watched the others recoil in fear as they saw the blade of the light saber at their friends neck. "Big mistake."

"Let me explain something to you, my fat, smelly friend," Obi-Wan growled, as he glared angrily at the man who now cowered before him. "My friend and I have had a long day, I didn't get to finish my nap, we haven't eaten a decent meal in days, and I'm in no mood to deal with you right now," he said, as he squeezed the man's collar tighter. "And I've got some very important business to attend to at the moment."

"So if you don't mind," Obi-Wan growled, as he leaned forward, his eyes flashing angrily as he brought the blade of his saber up in front of the terrified man's long, crooked nose, "Why don't you and your friends get the hell out of here before we have to kill all of you and be late for our appointment?"

Bail shook his head and smiled, as he shrugged his shoulders and pointed his blaster directly at the head of the young, scruffy, and terrified, young man beside him. "He's right," he said, as he flipped the safety off of his weapon. "It really has been a long day, and I did wake him up, just a few minutes ago."

Bail chuckled to himself, as Obi-Wan threw the man down on the ground in front of him and stepped closer toward him. "And clean my boot off," Obi-Wan said, as he brought the tip of his saber close to man's exposed throat, watching him as he reached over and quickly wiped off the tip of Obi-Wan's boot with his sleeve.

"Not bad," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he looked down at his boot and admired it for a moment. "Now get out of here," he said, as he glared back at the fat, terrified man again, watching him as he crawled slowly backwards away from Obi-Wan's humming, blue blade. "Now."

Bail lowered his weapon, chuckling to himself as he walked slowly up to Obi-Wan's side as they watched the man scramble to his feet and run after his companions, who were already several dozen meters ahead of him.

"Mental note to self," Bail chuckled, as he holstered his weapon as his Jedi companion quickly extinguished the blade of his saber and returned it to his belt. "Never wake Obi-Wan early from his nap."

"Makes me grumpy," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head and looking back at Bail with a sly grin. "You wouldn't believe how long it took for Anakin to learn that."

"Come on," he said, his expression growing more serious as they started to trot down the alley between the deteriorating buildings. "We've got to hurry."

* * *

Shanda and Breha both jumped, as they heard the small door at the end of the damp, cold warehouse open; they both jumped up, their hearts racing, and she watched as Shanda ran quickly to the children that sat huddled together in front of them, dropping to her knees beside them as they all waited, anxiously, as they heard the footsteps in the darkness behind them as the door slammed shut.

Breha closed her eyes, and she and Shanda both shared a collective sigh of relief as she heard the familiar voice call out to them. "Breha?" she heard Bail call, anxiously. "Where are you?"

"It's okay," Breha smiled, walking quickly over and turning her attention to the frightened group of little ones that huddled together on the floor in front of her. "It's Bail and Master Obi-Wan."

"We're over here," Breha called, looking at Shanda as the young girl stood up and hugged her, tightly. "Behind the shipping containers."

They both smiled, as they saw Bail and Obi-Wan both run around the corner of the warehouse toward them; both she and Shanda could tell, by the looks on their faces, that they were both just as happy and relieved to see them as they were.

"Bail," Breha sighed, as she threw her arms around her husband and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad to see you."

"No happier than I am to see you," Bail said, as he pulled her close and kissed her tenderly for a long moment. "Are you all right?" he asked, as he opened his eyes and smiled down at her.

"Yes," Breha smiled, nodding as she looked up at him. "We're a little cold," she said, as she turned and looked at the children again, "but we're fine. What took you both so long?" she asked, turning and looking at Obi-Wan as he and Bail exchanged glances for a moment.

"We, uh, had a little trouble with some of the locals right after we landed," Bail grinned, as he looked back at his wife, watching as she raised her eyebrow curiously, glancing at the brown-haired Jedi as he smiled at her, quite sheepishly. "Obi-Wan... had a word with them."

"I'll bet," Breha sighed, and she pulled Bail to her side and hugged him tightly as they both watched, as Shanda very nearly leapt into Obi-Wan's arms, as she squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him tightly.

"Well," Obi-Wan chuckled, as he patted Shanda's back gently as he returned her hug. "Enthusiastic welcome, indeed," he said, as he glanced over at Bail and Breha with a grin.

"Welcome back, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, as she looked up at his smiling face. "I knew you'd come back."

"Where's Master Yoda, and Anakin?" Shanda said, as her expression suddenly grew much more concerned. "Are they all right?"

"They're both fine," Obi-Wan nodded, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "Master Yoda is with Anakin on Naboo, right now," he said. "They wanted to be here, but they both had some very important things to take care of."

"I was hoping to get to see them again," Shanda sighed, nodding her head as she looked up at Obi-Wan.

"You will, Shanda," Obi-Wan nodded. "But right now," he said, looking back up at Bail and Breha as they stood near them, "We need to get out of here, as quickly and quietly as possible."

"Bail," Obi-Wan said, as he glanced over at Shanda again for a moment, "you and Breha go ahead and get the children ready to move," he said, as he placed his arm gently around Shanda's young shoulders. "I need to speak with Shanda for just a moment," he said, as he looked back at the young teenager's puzzled, and somewhat apprehensive, face. "We'll join you in a few minutes."

"All right," Bail said, as he and Breha both walked quickly over toward the children; Obi-Wan and Shanda both watched them, for a moment, as they both knelt down and began to talk quietly to the little group of youngsters.

"Come with me, Shanda," Obi-Wan said, looking down at her as he gently pulled her along beside him. "There's something you and I need to talk about."

"What is it, Master Obi-Wan?" Shanda asked softly, a worried tone in her voice as she looked up at him. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Quite the contrary," Obi-Wan said quietly, as he stopped near the staircase where Shanda and Breha had been sitting, motioning for her to sit down. "Bail's told me about everything you've done for the young ones, since we found you in the Temple," he said, smiling at her reassuringly as he knelt in front of her as she sat down.

"Those children wouldn't be alive now, if it weren't for you," Obi-Wan said, as he glanced back over and watched Bail and Breha begin to escort the children toward the back of the warehouse. "I want you to know that I'm very proud of you, and of everything that you've done."

Shanda smiled, somewhat bashfully, as she saw the proud smile on Obi-Wan's face. "Thank you, Master Obi-Wan," she said, quietly. "That means a lot, coming from you."

"I know you've been through a lot already," he said, reaching over and squeezing her hand reassuringly. "But there's something that I need to ask you."

"What is it?" Shanda asked, her countenance growing more apprehensive as she sensed the concern in Obi-Wan's voice.

"How much weapons training have you had?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, glancing back at the children as he spoke.

"Weapons training?" Shanda asked, shocked and surprised. "You mean, saber training?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, turning his eyes back toward her and looking at her with a deeply serious expression.

"I've been training for about six months," Shanda said quietly, watching as Obi-Wan reached down and took the lightsaber from his belt; she felt butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach, as she watched the Jedi Master before her roll the saber in his hand thoughtfully.

"It'll have to do," Obi-Wan nodded, as he looked up at her intently. "I don't have time to explain everything right now, Shanda," he said, looking up into her troubled eyes as reassuringly as he could. "But I sense something. I'm not sure what, but I don't like it, whatever it is."

"They're looking for us, right now," he said softly; he could sense the nervousness that flowed through her as he spoke; he felt terrible, having to share this with her, after all she'd been through, all she had endured in the Temple, but he had no choice. "We've got to get out of here fast, and Bail and I are going to need your help."

"With all that you've done, I hate to ask this of you," Obi-wan said, shaking his head slowly as he smiled at her apologetically. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to grow up a little quicker than you may have wanted to."

Shanda opened her trembling hand, watching as Obi-Wan place Ardmak's saber gently into it; she swallowed, hard, as she realized the trust and faith that he was placing in her, as she closed her fingers tightly around it. This wasn't the training saber that she had sparred with, since her old master, Jedi Knight Ayden Mazino, had begun her training six months ago; this was for real.

"But, this is your saber, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, looking up at him worriedly. "What'll you use if we..."

"I have another," Obi-Wan nodded, as he reached down and patted his tunic, just above his belt. "Dont' worry."

"Besides," he said, smiling at her as he watched her look at Ardmak's translucent, smoothly polished weapon as she turned it slowly in her hands. "That weapon belonged to someone very close to me, a very dear friend," he said, watching as Shanda turned her eyes up toward him again. "A very strong young padawan, much like yourself. I know he'd want you to have it."

"Your number one priority is to protect those children, and yourself," Obi-Wan said, watching Shanda intently as she took a deep breath and nodded her head slowly; he could see the worry, the uncertainty in her bright, green eyes, as she reached up and pushed a lock of her long, dusky red hair behind her ear. "Remember, stay calm and listen to what the Force tells you," he said, smiling at her reassuringly as he reached over and tapped the hilt of the saber in her trembling hands. "And don't be afraid to use this if you need to. Understand?"

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda replied, as she took another deep breath; he watched her, quietly, as she placed the saber on the small, narrow belt at her waist, and then look back up at him, nervously.

He looked at her, and their eyes locked for a long moment; his heart ached as, for an instant, he saw the same uncertainty, the same pain, in those bright green eyes that he had seen in Anakin's, that terrible night when they had stood quietly beside the funeral pyre on Naboo so long ago, the night they had said goodbye to his old master.

_What will happen to me now?_; he could hear Anakin's quiet, pain-filled words as clearly as he had that night, and he knew, in his heart, as he looked at those troubled, bright eyes that looked back at him, that Shanda was now asking him that same, frightening question.

His heart ached again, as he remembered how hard he had been on Anakin when he was younger; how he had pushed him a little too hard when he should have backed off, how he had criticized him for his mistakes, when he should have encouraged him for the things he'd done right.

Obi-Wan had been fortunate, where his old padawan was concerned. Indeed, Master Yoda had shared that with him, in great detail, just hours before as they prepared to leave Polis Massa; he truly realized, for the first time in his life, the incredible, awesome responsibility that rested on a Jedi's shoulders, when he took a padawan to train in the ways of the Force. In spite of everything that he had done wrong as his master, Anakin had become a fine, strong Jedi Knight. But he knew, in his heart, that it had been Padmé's love and encouragement that had prevailed over his mistakes, that had saved Anakin from a dark, dangerous path; he didn't plan on making those same mistakes again.

"The Force is very strong with you, Shanda," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he squeezed her hand tightly and reassuringly. "We're going to be fine. Trust your instincts. I know you can handle whatever we come up against."

"Now come on," he smiled, standing up and helping her up to her feet. "Let's get these children out of here."

* * *

Yoda looked up from his seat on the garden bench, watching as Anakin stepped through the kitchen door, closing it carefully behind him.

He looked up, and took a long, deep breath; it had been a long time, a long time indeed, since he had seen such a brilliant sky as the one that stretched over them this evening. The stars shone like bright diamonds in Naboo's crystal clear sky, and he smiled as he saw the uncountable numbers of them strewn across the heavens above, twinkling brightly through the thin, high clouds that drifted slowly through the cool, quiet evening sky.

His long ears twitched, slightly, as he listened to the sounds that filled the cool evening air around them, a rich mixture of the sounds of a planet filled with life; the river, the breeze, even the field crickets that chirped quietly in the meadow below them, all sang together in perfect harmony. It had been a long time since his aged ears had heard music as peaceful as the natural symphony that filled the air around them.

It was no wonder, he thought to himself, as he watched Anakin walk toward the bench where he sat, that the young Jedi Knight had been able to sense what they could not; the Force was strong here, rich, vibrant, and unencumbered, and he realized now, with a sense of deep sadness, that he, and his companions on the Jedi Council had never realized how oppressive the Dark Side's influence had become on the Senate's homeworld, until it was far, far too late to stop it.

This was a good place, he thought, as he watched Anakin walk up to him and look at him thoughtfully; it was no wonder that he and Padmé loved it so much, and had chosen to make it their home. It was as peaceful and calm as their spirits had become, and it would be the perfect place for them to raise their two children, and for her to face, with Anakin's help, the difficult challenges that awaited her.

Yoda smiled, as he reached up and took the small glass that Anakin offered him. "You all right, Master Yoda?" Anakin asked, as he slowly took a seat on the garden bench beside him, cupping his own glass thoughtfully in his hands.

"Yes," Yoda nodded, as he looked at the dark, crimson beverage in his glass thoughtfully. "Lost in my thoughts, I was, for a moment," he said, turning his eyes up to Anakin thoughtfully.

"It's easy to do, out here," Anakin sighed, as he leaned back on the bench and looked up at the stars above him. "Padmé and I like to come out here a lot, to just sit and talk," he said, looking back at Yoda and watching the little Jedi Master as he sipped, cautiously, from the glass in his small hands.

"Interesting, this is," Yoda said, as he smacked his lips and studied the wine in his glass curiously. "And unique."

"Darred makes it," Anakin said, nodding his head as he paused and took a sip from his own glass. "And this is definitely one of his better batches," he said, raising his eyebrow, as he studied his glass for a moment, turning it slowly in his hands.

Anakin turned and looked back at Yoda, watching him as he sighed, deeply, as he studied the glass in his hands thoughtfully. "You look worried, Master," he said quietly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, as Yoda turned his large eyes up to him.

"Just thinking, I was, of all that we must do," Yoda said, watching Anakin as he looked down at the ground below his boots and nodded his head slowly. "Ready, are you, and your droid?"

"Yeah," Anakin said quietly, as he looked up at the house for a long moment. "Artoo and I are ready, it's just that..."

Anakin paused, as he looked back over at Yoda again. "I was just thinking of everything that she's done, for so many people," he said, quietly. "It just doesn't seem right that we have to do things this way."

"Made this decision with you, Padmé has," Yoda said, looking back at Anakin's deeply troubled face. "Face it now, with the same courage that she has, you must."

"I know," Anakin said, nodding his head as he looked back at the glass in his hands, turning it slowly. "It's just that her family's always been so proud of her, and all the things she's accomplished," he said. "It just doesn't seem fair to her, or to them, that's all."

"A new life, Padmé has now, with you and your younglings," Yoda said, as he watched Anakin take a long sip from the glass of wine in his hand. "Time it is, I think, for you to help her discover all that it holds for her," he said, as Anakin looked back at him. "And how to protect it."

Yoda watched Anakin, as he smiled, somewhat weakly. "I know," he said quietly, nodding his head as he looked back across the garden in front of him.

"Discussed it with them yet, has she?" Yoda asked, as he looked back up at the house for a long moment; he could see the soft light that filtered through the windows, and hear the cheerful voices behind them.

"Not yet," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "She's going to tell them tonight, while we're down at the shop picking up the core," he said, as he looked back up at the house. "I thought I'd tell Dad, and Darred, while we're down there tonight."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, and Anakin turned and watched him as the little Jedi master took a long swig of the wine from the glass in his hand. "More of your brother's wine, perhaps, we should take with us," Yoda said, smiling slyly at Anakin as he turned and looked at him. "Make things easier to discuss, it might."

"That might be an excellent idea," Anakin sighed, as he looked back at the house, as Ruwee and Darred stepped through the patio door and started towards them, their jackets in their hands.

"Sorry about that," Ruwee sighed, as he put his arm through the sleeve of his jacket and pulled it up onto his shoulder. "We got a little distracted with the little ones on our way out."

"Understandable, that is," Yoda chuckled, as he and Anakin stood up from the bench where they sat; Ruwee smiled, and he and Anakin exchanged a long, amused glance as they watched the little Jedi master turn his glass up and polish off the last of the wine in it.

"You two ready?" Ruwee asked, as he reached up and squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly.

"Ready," Anakin said, nodding his head firmly, as they turned and started toward the gate that led to the hangar below them. "We need to get that information that Obi-Wan needs to Owen and Beru as fast as we can. With any luck," Anakin said, glancing up at the two, small binary stars that hung just over the horizon, "he and Bail are picking up the children right now."

"Well, it's locked up, safe and sound, in the storage shed in back of the shop," Ruwee said, as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his jacket as they walked; the night air was cooler tonight than it had been in a long time. "Darred and I locked it up that night as soon as Padmé shut it down."

They all stopped as they reached the hangar at the edge of the meadow, and Ruwee and Yoda stood quietly as Anakin and Darred both took hold of the heavy hangar door and lifted it up; Ruwee sighed, as he watched Anakin walk up to the run-down, tiny ship and open the entry ramp. He chuckled to himself, as the ramp hung about halfway down.

"I told Obi-Wan he paid way to much for this thing," Anakin grunted, disgustedly, as he reached up and banged his fist soundly on the control pad by the ramp; he shook his head, slowly, as the ramp shook, several times, and then began to drop the rest of the way down to the ground.

"Are you sure this thing is safe?" Darred asked, looking at his brother-in-law with an apprehensive smile.

"No," Anakin chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "But it's all we've got."

"Are you sure there's room enough in this thing for all of us, and that core?" Ruwee asked, as he walked up to the ramp and looked inside the small, cramped passenger compartment.

"I think so," Anakin said, as he started up the ramp and into the ship. "It'll be snug, but hey," he said, looking back at his father-in-law with a grin, "Padmé said we all needed to spend some time together, remember?"

"I'm not sure this is what she had in mind," Ruwee chuckled, as he watched Anakin step quickly through the passenger compartment and hop into the pilot's seat. "By the way," Ruwee asked, as he took a seat on the small bench near the portside wall. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Sure," Anakin said, as his eyes and fingers flew over the control panel as he brought the ship's systems online. "What is it?"

"What the hell happened to the perfectly good ship your wife left in?" he asked; he chuckled, shaking his head as he saw Anakin look over his shoulder at him with a sheepish, apprehensive grin.

"I was afraid you were gonna ask me that," Anakin sighed, as he reached over and pressed the switch on the console beside him, watching as the entry ramp closed as he fired the ship's thrusters.

* * *

"Lord Vader," Commander Bartellow called, looking up quickly from the com station beside him. "We think we've found something."

Vader turned, walking quickly over to the com station where Bartellow stood, watching the crewman that manned it intently. "What is it, Commander?" he asked, as he glared down at Bartellow as he looked up at him.

"One of our patrols says that they just intercepted a group of locals fleeing the area that we're heading to," Bartellow said, looking up at Vader's tall, menacing form as he stared down at him. "They reported that a ship landed a short time ago in an area just outside of the warehouse district."

"Two men were aboard the ship," Bartellow said, as he watched Darth Vader turn his dark, sinister visage toward the viewscreen at the front of the ship. "One of the locals claims that one of them was a Jedi Knight."

Bartellow swallowed, hard, as Vader snapped his head around and glared back at him, his slow, methodical breathing filling the gunship's cockpit. "Are you sure?" Vader's deep, resonate voice asked, as he placed his hands securely on the belt at his waist.

"Yes, Lord Vader," Bartellow said, his voice hollow and metallic through the speaker system of his helmet. "They reported that the two men accosted them, and one of them was carrying a light saber."

"Put all units in that area on the alert," Vader said, as he looked down at the crewman who manned the com station. "I want that ship, and whoever was on it."

* * *

Obi-Wan peered around the edge of the building; he reached back with his left hand, placing it gently on Breha's shoulder, as she turned and motioned for the children to stop.

It was quiet; too quiet, Obi-Wan thought to himself, as he looked out from the dark alley, toward the empty, dirty lot where the Millenium Falcon sat, quietly waiting for them. His eyes scanned the area, intently, looking for any signs of the danger that was causing the hair on the back of his neck to rise.

"Bail," Obi-Wan called quietly, turning his attention to his friend, as he stood near Shanda, at the back of the little band of youngsters. "Come on up here," he called as he motioned to him with his free hand, watching as Bail trotted quickly up to him, his blaster pistol in hand.

"What do you think?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, as he and Bail both peered out of the alley toward the ship.

"Looks clear to me," Bail said, as his eyes quickly studied the dark, empty space between them and the ship. "Wait here, with the children, while Breha and I go and get the ship powered up."

"Do it quickly," Obi-Wan said, as Bail turned and looked at Obi-Wan's deeply worried face. "And power up the weapon systems," he said, as he looked at Bail intently. "Something's not right. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"What is it?" Bail asked, as he looked around the area again quickly; he didn't see anything, but something about Obi-Wan's tone unnerved him.

"Never mind that," Obi-Wan said, as he nodded toward the ship again. "Let's just get out of here as quickly as possible."

"Sit tight," Bail said with a nod, as he took Breha's hand and squeezed it tightly. "As soon as you see the ship's lights come up, make a run for the ship. We'll be ready."

Obi-Wan watched, as he struggled to push back the sense of growing foreboding that gnawed at him, as Bail and Breha ran quickly through the darkness toward the ship; it only took them a moment or two to close the distance to it, and he watched, anxiously, as Bail keyed in the code on the control pad on the ship's underbelly.

He sighed, with a small sense of relief, as he watched Bail and Breha hurry up the ramp into the ship. "So far, so good," he said quietly, as he turned and walked quickly to the back of the group, where Shanda waited for him.

"Is everything okay, Master Obi-Wan?" Shanda asked quietly, as she looked up at him; she could sense how nervous and apprehensive he was.

"So far," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head and smiling as best as he could. "It's going to take Bail about five minutes to bring the ship's engines online," he said, as his eyes scanned the small band of children, as they stood perfect still and silent, in the dark, cold alley.

"Listen to me carefully, all of you," Obi-Wan said quietly, as the children turned their attention to him. "As soon as I tell you, I want all of you to follow Shanda and get onboard that ship as quickly as possible."

"No matter what happens, I don't want any of you to stop for any reason," he said, shaking his head firmly. "I want you to run, as quickly as you can, and don't stop until you're on that ship with Lady Breha. Understood?"

Obi-Wan smiled, as he watched the little group nod obediently, and then he turned his attention back to Shanda. "Run as quickly as you can, but don't let any of them fall behind, okay?" Obi-Wan said, as he squeezed her shoulder gently.

Shanda watched, as Obi-Wan reached into his tunic and pulled out the smooth, highly polished light saber he had hidden there; she reached down, instinctively, and took the one from her belt that he had given her, squeezing it tightly in her hand as she took another long, nervous breath.

"We're almost out of here, Shanda," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "As soon as you get to the ship, you stand guard at the base of the platform until they're all onboard," he said. "I'll bring up the rear and make sure we don't lose any of them."

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda replied, and she walked quickly at his side as they both walked up to the head of the alley and peered around the corner toward the Millenium Falcon.

"Wow," Shanda whispered, as she looked at the sleek, round cruiser with a sense of amazement. "A Corellian cruiser," she said, shaking her head slowly. "I've never seen one before, except in pictures," she said, as she glanced up at Obi-Wan with a smile. "They're supposed to be really fast."

Obi-Wan smiled, patting her shoulder reassuringly as she crouched at his side. "They are, indeed," he said, nodding his head slowly. "And I'll be a lot happier when we're all on it."

Obi-Wan looked up, as he saw the ship's lights suddenly blaze to life. "Okay, Shanda," he said, as he squeezed her shoulder tightly as he heard the ship's engines begin to whine, slowly. "Go," he said, as he glanced down at her again. "And don't stop for anything until you reach that ramp."

He watched, nervously, as Shanda bolted toward the Falcon, her light saber held tightly in her hand, as he ushered the children along behind her as quickly as he could. "Let's go, little ones," he said quietly, as he spurred them around the corner and out into the open lot. "As quickly and quietly as possible."

* * *

"Stop where you are!" the trooper shouted, as he rounded the corner of the building and leveled his rifle at his side. "By order of Emperor Palpatine!"

Shanda felt her blood run cold as she froze in her steps, looking up and watching as trooper after trooper suddenly poured around the corner of the building at the far end of the lot and started running toward them; her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and she heard herself call out to Obi-Wan, more out of instinct than willpower, as she watched the sea of white uniforms that surged toward them.

"Shanda!" Obi-Wan shouted, as he watched her turn and look at him as she paused for an instant. "Blade up," he called, nodding toward the ship ahead of her. "Keep running, and don't stop until you get there!"

Shanda nodded her head, and she turned and bolted for the ship as she touched the igniter on the weapon in her hand; she blinked, only slightly, as the brilliant, humming blue blade blazed forth, illuminating the dark path before her as she ran, as quickly as she could, toward the Falcon's entry ramp.

"Jedi!" the lead trooper shouted, as he saw the bright blue weapon blaze to life in her hands. "Stop them, now," he shouted, motioning wildly to the troopers behind him. "And take those children alive!"

Obi-Wan turned, looking over his shoulder at the sky above him as the roar of engines filled the air around them. "I hate it when I'm right," he sighed, powering up the saber in his hands as he watched the gunship swing low over the buildings, its searchlights bathing the dark, empty lot in brilliant, white light as they closed on them, quickly.

He quickened his pace as he ran beside the children, watching as Shanda bolted hard for the ship, closing on the ramp quickly; he swallowed hard, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, as he watched the troopers that ran toward them begin to raise their weapons to their shoulders.

"Bail!" Obi-Wan shouted, as he ran as quickly as he could beside the frightened children, Vader's brilliant crimson saber glowing brightly in his hand as he ran. "We could use some help out here!"

* * *

Darth Vader reached down under his cloak, snatching the polished, smoothly curved saber from his belt; he squeezed it tightly in his gloved hand, as he felt the incredible wave of rage and anger sweep over him as his eyes focused on the brilliant red blade in the hand of the Jedi on the ground below, as the pilot swung the gunship in a tight arc over the empty lot.

"Put this ship down, now!" Vader shouted angrily, as he spun around quickly and took a long, angry stride toward the cockpit; he placed his hand on the shoulder of the unfortunate trooper in front of him, throwing him hard against the bulkhead, as he stepped quickly past him and glared down at the pilot at the controls.

"Yes, sir," the pilot answered, obediently, as he pushed the control yoke forward, glancing back over his shoulder and watching as Vader turned and stepped quickly through the crew compartment, toward the boarding gate on the ship's starboard side.

* * *

"Shanda!" Obi-Wan shouted, as he saw the brilliant orange flash erupt from the blaster rifle in the troopers hand. "Incoming!"

Shanda felt her heart racing; she was only about ten yards from the ship, when she saw the bright bolt of light racing toward her. She swallowed hard, sliding to a stop, as she brought the blade of her saber around in front of her, as the bolt surged toward her through the darkness.

She jumped, as she felt the blast strike the blade of her saber, and she watched, somewhat amazed and bewildered, as the bolt reflected back away from her harmlessly, striking the ground a short distance from her, sending a bright shower of sparks flying through the air. She took several quick, deep breaths, as she felt the incredible surge of energy from the Force flow through her, and she glanced back quickly at the children, as they ran along behind her toward the ship.

She spun back around, quickly, as she heard the other rifles begin to fire at them, and she swung her saber hard, first left, then right, then left again, as she began to run toward the ship, turning the blasts away from the children, as she and Obi-Wan placed themselves between them and the troopers that ran toward them.

"Hurry!" she shouted, as she turned quickly and looked back at the children as they closed the last several yards to the Falcon's loading ramp. "Get on the ship, now!"

Shanda turned and looked toward the troopers again, swinging her saber up hard as another several blasts approached her; she caught them both, recoiling each time as they struck the blade of her weapon.

Obi-Wan watched her, as the first of the children bolted up the ramp behind her; she stood her ground, as firmly as any Jedi he had ever seen, Ardmak's blade flashing brightly in her young hands as she turned another laser blast away from the children behind her.

Shanda jumped as she heard the loud thunk behind her, and she turned quickly and watched as two large laser cannons suddenly dropped out from below the Falcon's nose; she ducked, turning on her heals and watching as the cannons suddenly opened fire, sending a barrage of laser blasts back across the lot into the mass of approaching troopers.

"Go!" she shouted, her weapon glowing brightly in her hand as she turned and watched the children run quickly up the ramp into the ship; she took several steps closer to the ramp, her weapon held high in front of her, as she watched the Falcon's cannons continue to send trooper after trooper to the cold, hard ground.

Obi-Wan swung his blade hard, catching the two blasts that surged toward him and sending them flying back, faster than they had closed on him, directly into the trooper that had fired them, sending him sailing backwards into the wall behind him with a loud howl of pain. He looked back over his shoulder, as the gunship fired it's thrusters, kicking up a huge plume of dust and debris as it dropped quickly to the ground; he could see the troopers in the laser pods, as they swung their weapons toward them; they were running out of time, and quickly.

"Hurry," Obi-Wan called, as he closed the last several yards to the ship, watching as the last of the children filed quickly up the ramp and into the ship. "We've got to get out of here, now!"

Shanda watched him, as he turned and stopped, just yards from the entry ramp, as the troopers began to pour out of the gunship behind them. "Go, Shanda!" he shouted, as he glanced over his shoulder at her, watching as the last two children scrambled up the ramp. "It's time to leave, now!"

Obi-Wan turned and swung the crimson blade in his hands, hard, as he turned back another series of laser blasts toward the troopers as they opened fire on them, and then glanced over his shoulder and watched as Shanda ran quickly up the ramp into the ship.

"Come on, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda shouted, her weapon still glowing brightly in her hand as she stopped part way up the loading ramp. "Hurry, please!"

Obi-Wan ducked, as he heard the laser cannons on the Falcon open fire again, as they swung quickly toward the gunship behind them; he turned and bolted toward the ramp, turning and glancing back over his shoulder one more time, as the boarding ramp on the gunship's bulkhead dropped with a heavy thunk to the hard ground below it.

Obi-Wan stopped instantly, as he started up the ramp into the Falcon behind Shanda; he turned around quickly, looking back toward the gunship as his mind tried to make sense of what he saw, and sensed, as he watched the dark, sinister figure glare at him, the brilliant crimson saber in his gloved hand blazing brightly to life as he stepped out of the gunship and started down the ramp, his dark, black cloak waving wildly in the wind behind him.

It couldn't be, he thought to himself, as he and the dark, terrifying figure glared at each other for a long moment; but there was no denying the presence that he felt, the same dark, sinister tremor that he had felt in that cave on Mustafar only a few days earlier. He didn't know how, but it was him; he was sure of it.

Obi-Wan jumped, spinning around quickly as he felt Shanda grab his forearm tightly. "Master Obi-Wan, please," she pleaded with him, a dark wave of fear and foreboding sweeping over her as she looked out at the dark, sinister monster that strode quickly toward them, the saber in his hand glowing brightly as he walked. "Let's go, please!"

Obi-Wan snapped back to his senses, as he heard Shanda cry out as the laser blast struck the side of the ship, just inches from his head; he bolted up the ramp, pushing her ahead of him as he reached over and pressed the control panel on the ship's bulkhead.

"Bail!" Obi-Wan shouted, as he wrapped his arm tight around Shanda's waist and pulled her quickly up into the ship with him. "We need to go," he shouted, as he felt the first blast from the gunship's laser cannon's strike the Falcon's starboard shields. "Now!"

* * *

Darth Vader glared up furiously, his weapon glowing brightly in his hand, as he watched the _Millennium Falcon_ turn quickly as she rose into the air, bucking hard as the gunship's laser cannons glanced off the shields around her hull. He screamed with anger and rage, his dark, deep voice echoing through the empty lot, as he watched the ship turn and fire it's massive impulse engine as it surged up and into the sky, disappearing quickly over the tops of the dilapidated warehouses toward Coruscant's city skyline beyond them.

He didn't care who else was on that ship; Kenobi was on it, he had seen him with his own eyes, seen his own weapon in his hand; he wanted him, more than anything that he had ever wanted in his life.

Vader spun around quickly, extinguishing the blade of his weapon as he stormed back toward the gunship. "Put every gunship in the city on the alert," he shouted, glaring up at Commander Bartellow as he started up the boarding ramp, his heavy cloak billowing wildly around him. "I want that ship!"

* * *

The inertial dampers had barely engaged when Bail fired the _Falcon's_ massive impulse engines; the sudden shift in momentum before the dampers engaged sent Obi-Wan and Shanda both flying backwards, quite unceremoniously, into the bulkhead just behind the ship's landing ramp.

Obi-Wan was just able to wrap his arms tightly around Shanda's waist and pull her to him as their feet left the smooth, metal decking, and he grimaced as he struck the bulkhead behind him, quite hard; it hurt, to be sure, but better him than her, he though, as he felt his own body absorb the impact with the hard, unforgiving surface as he shielded her body with his own. He grunted again, as he came to rest on the hard, cold decking, just as Shanda landed in his lap on top of him.

"Are you all right?" Obi-Wan asked, closing one eye as he reached up and rubbed the back of his head gingerly where it had struck the bulkhead; he looked at his hand, somewhat relieved; he'd have a serious knot later, to be sure, but at least he wasn't bleeding... again.

He looked up at Shanda's frightened, bewildered face, as she clung to his arm tightly; he smiled, as he watched her reach up with a trembling hand and push her wildly disheveled hair out of her eyes a she turned her head and looked back at him, very slowly.

"I think so," she said quietly, her voice trembling as Obi-Wan gave her a gentle push and helped her up to her feet.

"You sure?" he asked, as she took his hand and helped him up beside her. "Nothing broken?"

"I don't think so," she said, shaking her head slowly as she looked up at him.

Shanda yelped, squeezing Obi-Wan's arm tightly as they both steadied themselves as the powerful laser blast struck the Falcon's hull, sending the ship bucking hard to her starboard side. They both turned and looked back toward the cockpit, as they heard Bail's anxious voice call to them.

"I could use some help up here," Bail shouted, his voice echoing loudly through the passenger cockpit as Obi-Wan and Shanda both started toward the front of the ship as another blast rocked the Falcon again.

"Stay with the children, and keep them calm," Obi-Wan said, as he saw the group of youngsters huddled tightly together in the passenger compartment. "I'll call you if I need you, understand?"

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda nodded, as she dropped to her knees beside the little group of crying youngsters; she placed her light saber securely on her belt, her hands trembling, and she looked up and watched as Obi-Wan ran quickly through the corridor toward the cockpit.

* * *

"Is she asleep yet?" Sola asked quietly, as she peered around the doorway to Padmé's room, looking at her sister with a smile as she sat in the large chair near the window.

"Almost," Padmé whispered, as she looked up from her daughter and watched as Sola walked quietly into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. "She fights sleep a little harder than Luke does," she said, looking back down at Leia fondly, watching her newborn daughter as she blinked her eyes slowly.

"Just like her mother," Sola laughed quietly, as she closed the bedroom door behind her and then walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed near her. "Or so Mom tells me."

She watched Padmé for a long moment, as she rocked Leia gently in her arms; she smiled, as she heard her younger sister begin to hum the familiar lullaby softly as she reached up and gently brushed Leia's dark, thick hair with her fingers.

Padmé smiled, looking up at Sola as she suddenly heard her sister's voice begin to blend with her own as Sola began to sing, very softly, in harmony with her. She watched, her eyes twinkling brightly as she continued to hum, as Sola stood up from the bed and knelt quietly on the floor beside her. She squeezed Padmé's arm gently as they both turned and looked back at Leia, watching her as she blinked her eyes, slower and slower, as Sola finished the refrain to the old, soothing melody.

_Now, rest easy, young sailor, you're back from the sea,_

_In the arms of your true love, you're longing to be,_

_O'er the hills, green and good, beyond the oceans of blue_

_Your true love lies waiting, lies waiting for you._

Padmé gently tucked the blanket tighter around Leia, as she watched her finally close her eyes and drift off to sleep. "I never could remember the words," Padmé said softly, as she looked up at Sola with a bright smile.

"Well, the words aren't what matters," Sola grinned, as she placed her hand gently on Padmé's shoulder as they both looked back at Leia's tiny, sleeping face. "Mom never sang it much, remember?" she said, watching as Padmé began to laugh softly. "She said she never had the voice for singing, so she always hummed it."

"Well, I guess I'm going to be just like Mom," Padmé sighed, looking back at her sister with a smile. "You were the one who got the singing voice in the family."

"Oh, please," Sola laughed, shaking her head. "You have a beautiful voice," she said. "You were just always too busy talking to take time to sing."

"Anakin says the same thing, but I think you're both just being sweet," Padmé said, shaking her head skeptically.

"Sola squeezed Padmé's arm gently, as they both looked at Leia for a long, quiet moment. "She's beautiful, Padmé," she said finally, as she looked at her new niece as she lay sleeping contentedly in her sister's arms. "They both are."

"Thank you, Sola," Padmé said softly, her own face beaming brightly as she looked at the warm smile on her sister's.

Sola looked at her sister thoughtfully, as she watched her looked back down at Leia again. "So, now that Leia's asleep, and at the risk of sounding too much like our mother," she said, raising her eyebrow curiously as Padmé turned her attention back to her, "I think it's about time you did some explaining, young lady."

"Explaining?" Padmé said, looking back at Sola sheepishly. "About what?"

"This, for one thing," Sola said, as she reached up and shook Padmé's new padawan braid, holding it just inches in front of her nose. "And don't try to play innocent with me either, baby sister," Sola said, furrowing her brow and cutting Padmé off as she opened her mouth to speak. "I know good and well what this is," she said, smiling slyly as she watched Padmé close her mouth and swallow, hard. "I remember Anakin's very well, even if it is stored in that little box of yours now."

"Not to mention," Sola said quietly, watching with more than a small sense of satisfaction as her younger sister began to squirm uncomfortably, "I want to know what the hell you were thinking that night when you blasted out of here in that ship of yours, and why you didn't bring it back with you."

Padmé had known that this was coming; she knew her sister, and, just as she had told Anakin, she knew that her moment of reckoning was, finally, at hand. "Go ahead," she said softly, as she dropped her head and sighed deeply. "I deserve it, I know."

"Oh, I was so furious with you that night, Padmé," Sola sighed, shaking her head as she watched Padmé take a deep breath and nod her head as she looked up at her older sister with a deeply apologetic expression. "What in the world were you thinking, running out of here after him like that, in your condition?"

It wasn't often that Sola could catch Padmé off guard; her baby sister's career had depended on her not allowing that to happen, and not since she had caught Padmé sneaking out of the house when she was nine years old, and then threatened to tell her parents, had she seen her as nervous and submissive as she was now.

"We were so worried, Padmé," Sola said, her expression softening as she reached over and took Padmé's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.

"I know, and I'm so sorry," Padmé sighed, nodding her head with a resigned smile as she stood up slowly out of the chair, cradling Leia carefully in her arms. "I guess I do kind of owe you an explanation for putting you all through that, don't I?" she said, looking back at Sola with a sheepish smile as she stood up and followed Padmé to the crib that stood next to her bed.

"And I suppose now is as good a time as any to do that," Padmé said quietly, as she leaned down and placed Leia gently in the crib beside Luke; Sola watched her, smiling, as she gently tucked the blanket around her two sleeping babies, and then turned her attention back to her again.

"We need to talk," Padmé said, reaching over and squeezing Sola's arm tightly. "Where's Mom?"

Sola's expression grew a little more apprehensive and puzzled, as she looked at Padmé's thoughtful face. "She's in the kitchen, I think," Sola said, glancing over her shoulder toward the doorway. "At least that's where she was when I left her a few minutes ago."

"Let's go find her," Padmé said, rubbing Sola's shoulder gently as they started toward the doorway. "There's a lot we need to talk about."

* * *

"Owen," Beru called, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she opened the door to the workshop and stepped quickly inside; the evening air was cooler than usual tonight, and she felt a chill run down her back as she pulled the heavy door closed behind her. "Owen, where are you?"

"Over here," Owen called, turning his round, dirty face toward her, as he looked up from the speeder he was working on. "What's going on?"

"It's Anakin," Beru said, as she walked quickly across the crowded workshop, watching him as he reached over and picked up the rag on the bench beside him and began to wipe the dirt from his hands. "Cleig sent me to get you," she said, still breathing a little heavy from her sprint from the house through the cool evening air. "He said that Anakin's on the comlink right now."

"Are they on their way?" Owen asked, his expression growing deeply serious as he looked back at Beru's anxious face.

"I don't know," Beru said, shaking her head as she watched him wipe his hands. "But he says he has the information we'll need when they get here."

"I'll say one thing for him, he's consistent," Owen said, looking up at the timepiece on the wall of the workshop as he tossed the rag onto the bench beside him as he and Beru turned and started toward the doorway. "Right on time, just like he said he'd be," he said, as he reached up to place his hand gently on Beru's shoulder.

"Don't touch me with those dirty hands," Beru said, smiling at him slyly as he looked back at her with a grin as she ducked out from under his arm. "You're filthy, and I just washed this."

"Sorry," Owen chuckled, as he pushed the door open and followed her out into the cool air; they both walked, rather quickly, through the brisk evening air toward the house, as Tatooine's ever present wind kicked up a swirl of dust around them as they went.

* * *

"How many?" Obi-Wan shouted, as he reached up and adjusted the headset over his ears as another laser blast jarred the Millenium Falcon, straining to hear Breha's voice over the din of laser fire that erupted around them.

"Two more," Breha called through the headset, as Obi-Wan swung his eyes back toward the targeting display above the weapon controls where he sat. "Two gunships, coming in fast, on our starboard side!"

"How long until we can make the jump to light speed?" Obi-Wan asked, as he grabbed the controls tightly and pulled them hard to his right; the chair where he sat in the port side weapon station swiveled in response to his controls, and the massive laser cannon on the Falcon's hull moved in perfect harmony with it as he swung the guns toward the close transport that strafed alongside them.

"Two more minutes," he heard Bail call, as he felt the ship buck again, this time from her starboard side, as the two ships behind them fired on them again. "Hold them off of us for another few minutes. I've got to get clear of the atmosphere before we engage the hyperdrive."

"The sooner the better," Obi-Wan shouted, squeezing the trigger hard as the display in front of him flashed as the targeting computer locked onto the gunship in his sights.

"Shanda!" Obi-Wan shouted, watching the clone gunship buck wildly as he scored a direct hit on her, sending a huge plume of plasma off her hull as the cannon fire dissipated rapidly into her shields; he could see the pilot in the cockpit pull back hard on the controls, as he swung the ship up and away in a wide arc, as the fire from Obi-Wan's laser cannon tracked it across the dark sky.

"They're coming up on your side, mark one eight seven degrees," he shouted, turning in his chair and glancing back across the weapons station access crawl-way, looking at the young, dusky-haired padawan as she turned and glanced back over her shoulder at him anxiously. "Try to keep them off of us, as best you can, until Bail can make the jump to light speed."

Shanda nodded her head, turning quickly and looking back out of the wide, clear viewport in front of her; she could feel her pulse racing as she squeezed the controls tightly, watching as the two gunships that followed them swung out from behind the Falcon and into the open air in front of her.

She fought back the wave of nausea that swept over her, as she felt the Falcon turn and swing rapidly, as she tried to maneuver the ship closest to her into the targeting sight. "This is a lot harder in real life that it is on the simulator," Shanda called over her headset, reaching up and pushing the mic closer to her face as she watched the ship swing out of her targeting computer's field once more. "I don't think I can do this," she called, as she felt another wave of nausea and frustration sweep over her again.

"Yes, you can," Shanda heard Obi-Wan's calm, reassuring voice call to her over her headset, as she took a deep breath and swallowed hard, trying desperately to fight back the wave of nausea that dogged her as Bail swung the Falcon hard again as he pushed them higher and higher into Coruscant's dark, hazy atmosphere.

"Listen to me, Shanda," Obi-Wan said, his voice growing calmer by the moment. "You can do this, I know you can," he said, as she closed her eyes for a second and listened intently to his voice. "Don't worry so much about the targeting computer. Just use the Force. Trust your instincts."

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, her voice trembling as she opened her eyes and looked back out of the viewport in front of her; she swung her guns toward the ship closest to her, as she took a deep breath and reached down into the Force, as hard as she ever had, as the clone gunship swung toward them and opened fire.

* * *

"I want that ship disabled, now!" Darth Vader growled angrily, turning and glaring out of the gunship's forward viewscreen as their transport pitched violently as the Falcon's laser fire burst across the nose of the ship; he could feel the anger, the hatred, boiling inside of him as he watched the mysterious vessel swing and turn wildly, as they began to break through the planet's hazy atmosphere into the clear blackness of space.

"We're trying, sir," the gunner called back, as he tracked another barrage of cannon fire across the Millenium Falcon's hull, watching as it dispersed quickly in an orange-blue flash across the ship's heavy deflector screens.

"The ship's screens are exceptionally strong," Commander Bartellow said, grabbing the bulkhead beside him and steadying himself as another blast from the Falcon's cannons rocked the small transport. "We should have broken through them by now."

"I'm not interested in excuses," Vader snapped angrily, as he turned and glared down at Bartellow. "Have you found anything on the ship's registry?"

"Nothing, sir," Bartellow answered, shaking his head as he looked back down at the display in front of him as the system continued to scroll through ship after ship at lighting speed. "The ship's transponder isn't showing up in any of the databanks," he said, looking back up at the angry Sith Lord as he stared down at him. "It's as if it doesn't exist."

"They're breaking clear of the planet's gravitational field, sir," the clone trooper at the weapon station called, looking back over his shoulder at Vader and and his commanding officer as they turned their attention toward him. "If we don't stop them in the next thirty seconds, we're going to lose them."

"Gunship two has just lost their rear deflector screens," the trooper at the com station called anxiously, as Bartellow turned and looked at him. "If they take one more direct hit from those laser cannons, they're done for. They're requesting permission to break off their attack."

"Permission denied," Vader snapped, as he turned and glared back at the trooper at the com station. "I want all ships to engage that vessel as closely as possible."

"But sir," the trooper said, shaking his helmeted head slowly, "One of their engines is leaking. If they take another hit on their hull, they'll..."

"Shoot them down yourself," Darth Vader snapped, turning and looking back at the gunner in the laser pod near him, "at the first sign of them trying to break off their attack."

"Too late," Commander Bartellow shouted, pointing toward the viewscreen in front of them as Vader turned his dark, sinister form quickly toward the cockpit, watching as the huge plume of flame erupted from the crippled transports rear quarter as the Falcon's cannon fire struck it square on.

Darth Vader grabbed hold of the bulkhead next to him, squeezing it tightly in his gloved hand as the wave of anger flowed over him; he watched, the hatred swelling in him, as the stricken gunship spiraled out of control as the _Millennium Falcon_ continue to pitch and roll wildly as his two remaining gunships continued to fire at it.

* * *

"Good shot, Shanda!" Obi-Wan shouted, looking out of the wide viewport in front of him and watching as the gunship behind them turned hard and surged out toward the port side of the Falcon; he swung his cannons toward it, tracking the ship on his display as it rolled slowly, a huge plume of plasma trailing behind it as it's starboard engine burned fiercely.

Obi-Wan squeezed the trigger under his finger, just as the targeting indicator on the display in front of him began to flash; he watched, taking a deep breath as his weapons found their target and the transport exploded in a violent flash, the concussion wave rocking the Falcon's decks beneath them.

"Good work back there, you two," Obi-Wan heard Bail call over the headset. "Now get out of those weapons pods and strap yourselves in, quickly," he called. "I'm making the jump to light speed in fifteen seconds. Don't be in those pods when I do."

"Let's go, Shanda," Obi-Wan called, tossing the headset to the deck beside him as he scrambled to unfasten his belts as quickly as possible; he climbed quickly out of the chair and started back through the crawl-way, watching as Shanda worked frantically to free herself.

"Quickly, quickly," he called, extending his hand to her and pulling her into the crawl-way with him as they both started through the narrow tunnel down to the ship's main deck. "We don't want to be in here when he engages those hyperdrive engines."

They both scrambled as quickly as they could out of the narrow passageway, the ship bucking wildly beneath them as the remaining two gunships continued to fire on them.

* * *

"They're powering up their main engine, sir," the trooper at com station called, looking up at Commander Bartellow anxiously. "We're going to lose them."

"Lock all weapons on that ship and fire, immediately!" Bartellow shouted, turning and glaring at the two troopers who manned the weapon's station. "I don't want that ship to..."

"Too late!" the trooper at the com station called, shaking his head as Vader and Bartellow both glared at him. "They're making the jump now!"

Darth Vader could feel the hatred and fury boiling within him, as he turned and glared out of the ship's forward window; he watched, in angry silence, as the mysterious ship's main engine flashed brightly, and then, leaving nothing more than a shimmering trail of pale blue plasma in it's wake, it disappeared into the blackness of space.

Commander Bartellow swallowed, hard, as he watched the Sith Lord glare out of the ship's window in silence for a long moment, with nothing but the sound of his steady, rhythmic breathing filling the crew compartment around them. His breath caught in his throat, as Vader suddenly snapped his dark, helmeted head around and glared down at him.

"Calculate every possible destination along their flight path," he growled, as he glared down at Bartellow angrily. "I want troops combing every system and monitoring every transport that passes through any of them."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Bartellow said, nodding his head firmly as Vader glared at him. "At once."

"I want Kenobi captured, and brought to me alive," Darth Vader said, taking a step closer to Bartellow as he pointed his gloved finger directly at his face. "Is that understood?"

"Understood clearly, sir," Bartellow replied, nodding his head again as he looked up at Darth Vader's towering, menacing form. "Very clearly, indeed."

* * *

_Transmission complete. Data accepted and verified._

"You should have it now, Owen," Anakin said, looking up at Owen's blue-green image on the holopad as he watched the message scroll quickly across the display on the com station in front of him. "Confirm that for me, okay?" he said, as he watched Owen study the display in front of him for a long moment.

Anakin turned around, as he felt Ruwee's hand on his shoulder; he smiled, as he reached out and took the small cup that his father-in-law offered him.

"How's it going?" Ruwee asked, as he watched Anakin looked back at Owen's image as he took a cautious sip from the cup in his hand.

"I just just finished sending the information to Owen a minute ago," Anakin said, frowning as he studied the cup in his hand carefully. "We're just waiting to make sure everything went through okay."

"What is this stuff?" Anakin said, turning and looking at Ruwee with a curious smile. "This stuff is almost as nasty as that stuff Master Yoda likes to drink for breakfast."

"Well, that explains why he likes it so well," Ruwee chuckled, as he lifted his own cup to his lips and took another sip as he watched Anakin sit his down on the com station in front of him and look at it disgustedly. "I'm not sure what it is," Ruwee said with a smile. "Old man Barrymore gave it to us last year for Padmé's birthday. I never bothered to bring it home."

"One little thing we can be thankful for," Anakin laughed, as he picked up the cup and sniffed it, cautiously. "I guess we could use it for degreasing vaporator housings," he said, as he sat the cup back down on the counter in front of him.

"Where's Yoda and Darred?" Anakin asked, turning and glancing back over his shoulder toward the doorway behind him.

"They're loading the core in the ship, right now," Ruwee said, nodding his head as he looked back at Anakin thoughtfully. "They're strapping it down. They should be in in just a few minutes."

"_The checksum looks good, Anakin_," Owen said, as Anakin and Ruwee both turned their attention toward his blue-green image on the holopad. "_Looks like everything came through fine._"

"Great," Anakin sighed, nodding his head. "Write that off to a datadisc, and have it ready for Master Obi-Wan when he gets there, okay? He'll know what to do with it."

"And then wipe it off your system, understand?" Anakin said, looking back up at Owen's image with a deeply serious expression. "I don't want any of that information anywhere near you two after Obi-Wan leaves, understood?"

"_Don't worry, I get the message_," Owen replied, nodding his head firmly as he tapped the controls in front of him and inserted a blank disc into the com station. "_Have you heard from him yet?"_

"No," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "But I'm not expecting to. It'd be too risky for him to try to contact us here, with everything that's going on. He'll contact you, directly," Anakin said, watching as Owen looked up at him as he spoke. "Just keep that key online and watch for his signal, okay?"

"_We're watching it round the clock, Anakin_," Beru said; Anakin smiled, as he saw her walk up behind Owen and place her hands on his shoulders. "_We'll be ready when he calls_," she said. "_I promise_."

"I don't know how we'd have pulled this off, if it weren't for you three," Anakin said, nodding his head as he looked up at them with a thankful smile. "Thank you all for doing this," he said. "We'll be out to check on you, just as soon as we can, I promise. But we've got some things we have to take care of here, first."

"Tell Master Obi-Wan that we're loading the core on the ship tonight," he said, as he glanced back up at his father-in-law thoughtfully. "Master Yoda said to tell him that he'll contact him when it's safe, just as soon as he can."

"_Will do_," Owen said, nodding his head as his image flickered again on the holopad. "_I'll contact you just as soon as I hear from him, and don't worry about those kids_," he said, reaching up and taking Beru's hand tightly in his as he spoke. "_We'll take care of them. You just take care of Padmé and those two new little ones._"

"I will," Anakin smiled, nodding his head firmly. "I promise."

"_And tell Padmé we said good luck_," Beru said excitedly, smiling brightly at Anakin as she leaned closer to the transmitter. "_We'll be thinking about her_."

"I will," Anakin said, nodding his head as he glanced up at Ruwee's puzzled, curious expression. "Be careful, you two," he said, turning his attention back to their image on the holopad. "We'll see you soon, I promise."

Anakin watched quietly, as Owen and Beru both smiled, and then their image flickered and disappeared as the signal faded.

"Why do I get the distinct feeling that you and I have something that we need to talk about?" Ruwee asked, raising his eyebrow as he looked at his son-in-law with a curious smirk.

"Probably because we have something we need to talk about," Anakin sighed, as he stood up from the com station and squeezed Ruwee's shoulder tightly. "And I guess here, and now, is as good a time as any to do it," he said, watching as Ruwee's expression grew a bit more thoughtful.

"What's my daughter gotten herself into this time?" Ruwee sighed, shaking his head as he and Anakin walked slowly toward their workbench in the back of the shop.

* * *

"You're what?" Sola asked, looking at Padmé with an expression of stunned disbelief as she and her mother sat on the couch across from her.

"Dead," Padmé said, nodding her head slowly as she smiled nervously at her sister and mother's stunned faces.

"What do you mean, you're dead?" Jobal asked, shaking her head slowly as she leaned closer to Padmé, looking at her intently.

"I mean, as far as the rest of the galaxy is concerned," Padmé sighed, looking down at her hands nervously as she spoke, "Anakin and I are dead."

"I don't understand any of this," Jobal said, shaking her head slowly as she leaned back on the couch.

"It's a long story, Mom," Padmé said, looking back up at her mother's puzzled, and somewhat distressed, face. "And I'll try to explain it, as best as I can," she said, nodding her head as she watched Sola and her mother exchange a long, puzzled glance.

"But there's something that you should know, first, that might make it easier to understand what I'm going to tell you," Padmé said, as she reached up and brushed her hand through her hair; she watched her mother, as she looked back at her curiously as Padmé brushed her hair back over her shoulder, revealing the long, thin padawan braid that hung there.

* * *

"Let me see if I understand this," Ruwee said, clasping his hands tightly between his knees and looking up at Anakin as he sat quietly in the chair beside him. "The Emperor thinks the both of you are dead, and my daughter is going to be... a Jedi Knight?"

"Yep," Anakin sighed quietly, nodding his head slowly. "That pretty much sums it up, Dad."

Anakin smiled, as he watched Ruwee shake his head slowly as he began to laugh, softly. "Pour me a refill, Anakin," he sighed, as he leaned back in his chair and held his cup out in front of him. "Something tells me I'm going to need it."

Anakin reached over and picked up the bottle from the bench, looking back at Ruwee's shocked face for a long moment as he refilled his father-in-law's glass. He watched him, sighing deeply, as Ruwee took a long drink of the strong, heady liquor and then wiped his lips on his sleeve.

"Okay," Ruwee sighed, looking back at Anakin and shaking his head slowly. "I'm ready, so start talking," he said, watching Anakin as he refilled his own cup. "And don't spare the details."

"So what is it, you said again, that you and the droid are going to do tomorrow?" Ruwee sighed, as he looked back at Anakin, watching him as he closed his eyes and took a sip from his own cup.

"We're going to save our children's lives," Anakin said, nodding his head as he looked back at his father-in-law thoughtfully. "By filing our own death certificates."

* * *

Yoda rested his weight on his small cane, watching as Anakin and Darred both tugged, hard, on the thick, heavy straps that bound the heavy, cylindrical computer core to the deck of the small craft.

"There," Anakin grunted, as he gave the strap another sharp tug for good measure. "That oughta hold it," he said, glancing over at Darred and watching him as he did the same.

"Yep," Darred said, nodding his head firmly as he stood up and rubbed his hands together gingerly. "I don't think that's going anywhere." He watched, with keen interest, as Anakin knelt down and tapped the core's control pad quickly with his fingertips.

"Have you figured out yet how you're gonna explain this to the university, when they come looking for this thing?" Darred asked, a sly smile spreading across his face as he folded his arms thoughtfully across his chest and looked down at Anakin.

"No," Anakin laughed, exasperated, shaking his head slowly as he watched the display intently. "And I haven't figured out what to do about those power cells I just installed in this thing, either."

"We'll figure something out," Darred chuckled, as he watched Anakin glance back up at him with a grin. "How long, did you say, those backup power cells will last?" Darred asked, kneeling down next to Anakin and watching him as he entered the commands to power down the core and secure its memory.

Anakin's brow furrowed, as he watched the small display scroll message after message as it locked down and powered off each of its internal memory banks in sequence. "Well," he sighed, looking up at Yoda as the small Jedi master walked over and stood next to him, "They're fully charged so, assuming it doesn't get powered back up more than a few times, they should last for, oh, sixty or seventy years."

"More than sufficient, that timeframe should be," Yoda sighed, nodding his head as he looked back at Anakin thoughtfully, watching the young Jedi as he entered the last few commands on the console.

"I should hope so," Anakin said, as he watched the screen scroll the last several responses to his commands; he and the others watched in silence as, with a series of clicks and whines, the core's display fell dark, as the internal circuits and motors whined slowly to a stop and fell silent, securing its precious contents inside.

Anakin and Darred stood up, slowly; they watched, as Yoda placed his hand on the cold, smooth cylinder and looked at it thoughtfully. "Costly, indeed, Dooku's betrayal has been," Yoda said finally, looking back up at Anakin with his large, sorrowful eyes, " Difficult to believe, it is, that all that remains of the Temple, and our history, this is."

"I know," Anakin said quietly, as he looked back at the core thoughtfully. "And if it hadn't been for Padmé," he said, turning his eyes back toward Yoda again, "we wouldn't even have that."

"Hmmm," Yoda mused, nodding his head slowly as he ran his small hand thoughtfully across the cool, smooth cylinder. "Amazing it is, what the Force can accomplish, through one who is willing to hear its council," he said, looking back up at Anakin with a smile. "Even when, understand it, they do not."

"Are you sure I can't talk you into coming back with us, Master Yoda?" Anakin asked, his own expression growing more somber as he looked back at the little Jedi master. "I know Padmé would like to see you one more time before you leave."

"Said our goodbyes, already, Padmé and I have," Yoda sighed, looking up at Anakin with a weak smile. "Difficult enough, it was, for the both of us," he said, shaking his head slowly. "Suffered enough, she has, over these last, dark days," he said. "Time it is, for her to put the past behind her, and face the challenge that lies ahead."

Anakin nodded his head, slowly, as he looked down at Yoda's thoughtful face; he glanced over at Darred, as his brother-in-law placed his hand gently on his shoulder.

"We'll be waiting for you in the shop, Anakin," Darred smiled, as he squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly. "I'm sure you two have a few things to talk about before..."

Darred paused, nodding his head slowly as Anakin returned his smile knowingly; he would've readily confessed that he didn't understand much of what was going on, but he knew enough, and he knew that this had to be a painful experience, for the both of them.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Master Yoda," Darred said, turning his gaze back toward Yoda and bowing politely. "I hope we'll see you again."

"A certainty, that is," Yoda nodded, returning Darred's polite gesture in kind. "My thanks, to you, and to your family, for all that you have done," Yoda said. "May good fortune, and the Force, be with you all."

"Safe journey, Master Yoda," Darred said; he paused for a moment, and then Yoda and Anakin both watched him as he turned and walked quickly back down the ramp toward the shop.

"A fine family, you have, Anakin," Yoda said, watching as Darred opened the door and stepped back inside the workshop. "Guard them well," he said, as he looked back up at Anakin thoughtfully. "All of them."

"I will, Master Yoda," Anakin said, quietly. "You have my word."

"Well," Yoda sighed, after a long pause, "Time it is, I believe," he said, placing his hand on the core beside him once again, "for our paths to part again, for a time."

"Are you sure about this, Master Yoda?" Anakin asked, looking at Yoda thoughtfully. "About Dagobah, I mean?"

"Yes," Yoda said, nodding his head firmly as he walked past Anakin toward the tiny cockpit. "Devoid of technology, Dagobah is," Yoda said, turning and looking up at Anakin's troubled face. "Unlikely, it is, that Sidious' forces would search for it there."

"Besides," Yoda said, as he reached down and tapped the small console by the pilot's seat and brought the ship's systems online. "Strong, the Force is, on Dagobah," he said, looking back at Anakin thoughtfully. "Easy it will be, there, for me to keep an eye on you," he said, smiling slyly. "And your padawan."

"And time it is, I think," Yoda said, nodding his head firmly as he looked up at Anakin's thoughtful face, "for you to return to her, and to your little ones."

"Much you have to do, in the days ahead," Yoda said, looking back at the console for a moment as he powered up the ship's thrusters. "Difficult enough, Padmé's road will be," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at the young Jedi behind him. "But even more difficult, and treacherous, your own will be, until her training is complete."

"Remember, Anakin," Yoda said, as he motioned for Anakin to take a seat on the bench beside him. "A difficult and dangerous time, this will be, for Padmé," he said, watching as Anakin sat down slowly on the bench beside him, listening intently. "Rely on you, Padmé must, even more now than she has in the past."

"Untried, this path that we have chosen is," Yoda sighed, looking back out of the ship's main entrance at the dark, cloudless sky thoughtfully. "Decide for yourself, you will have to, the best way to walk it, for you, as well as for Padmé," he said, turning his deeply serious countenance back to Anakin again. "And for your younglings."

Anakin sighed deeply, as he looked down at Yoda's thoughtful face. "When will we see you again, Master Yoda?" he asked, watching as the little Jedi master took a long deep breath and looked thoughtfully out of the door beside them.

"Depends greatly, that does, on you and your padawan," Yoda said, turning his attention back to Anakin again. "Return again, I will, as soon as she is ready to face the trials."

"But not before," Yoda said, shaking his head slowly as his expression grew much more somber. "Incomplete, Sidious' dark mission is," he said, a tremor of dark foreboding in his gruff voice. "Certain it is, that he will seek to complete it, by whatever means he can."

"Difficult enough, it will be, to keep your presence hidden from him," Yoda said, turning his eyes back toward Anakin again. "Need my presence here, to help him, you do not."

Anakin looked at him, as Yoda's expression suddenly became deeply serious and thoughtful. "Return, I will, when the time for her trials have come," Yoda said. "Until then, trust in the Force, and in yourself, you must, for guidance."

Yoda watched Anakin, as he looked down at the floor in front of him for a long, quiet moment; he could sense the worry, the uncertainty, that flowed through Anakin's heart as he sat there quietly.

"I've always had you, and Master Obi-Wan, to fall back on when I needed help, Master Yoda," Anakin said quietly, looking back at Yoda worriedly. "Are you sure I'm ready to do this on my own?"

Yoda smiled, as he looked at Anakin quietly for a long moment. "A strong, powerful Jedi Knight, you have become, Anakin," he said, as he looked at Anakin proudly. "Ready for this challenge, you were, a long time ago."

"A fine father, I think you will be, to your younglings, as well, hmm?" Yoda chuckled, watching Anakin smile as he poked him just below his ribs with his tiny cane. "Learn much, they will, from you, and their mother."

"And a fine Jedi, Padmé will become, with your help," Yoda smiled, nodding at Anakin approvingly as he lowered his cane to the floor in front of him. "Just like her husband."

"Now," Yoda said, as he turned and climbed, somewhat clumsily, into the pilot's seat, and then tossed his cane into the copilot's seat beside him. "Time it is, for me to follow my destiny, just as you must follow yours," he said, reaching over and tapping the controls on the console, as he brought the engines up to full power.

"Besides," he said, glancing back over at Anakin with a knowing smile, "Waiting on you, Padmé and your younglings are," Yoda said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled at him. "Keep them waiting any longer, you should not."

Anakin smiled and took a deep breath, as he stood up and stepped up to the pilot's chair. "Have a safe journey, Master Yoda," he said, as he placed his hand on Yoda's shoulder and squeezed it, tightly. "And may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with all of us, Anakin," Yoda sighed, nodding his head as he looked up at Anakin thoughtfully. He watched, his own heart aching more than he cared to admit, as Anakin turned and walked quietly toward the ship's ramp and, glancing back at Yoda one last time, walked quickly out of the ship and down the ramp.

Anakin turned around as he stepped clear of the ship's thrusters, watching as the ramp on the old, well-worn ship closed slowly; he folded his arms tightly across his chest, his heart filled with a mixture of emotions as he watched the tiny Jedi through the cockpit window as he looked out at Anakin one last time, and then reached over and pushed the throttle controls on the console beside him.

Anakin took another few steps back, shielding his eyes as, kicking up a huge cloud of dust beneath it, the small ship rose steadily into the air, its running lights flashing brightly as it turned slowly and rose up into the clear, cloudless evening sky.

Anakin glanced back behind him, as he felt Ruwee's strong hand on his shoulder. "You okay, son?" Ruwee asked quietly, watching as Anakin looked up again at the small, ragtag ship for a long moment; Ruwee squeezed Anakin's shoulder tightly, as he looked up and watched the small ship turn and fire its thrusters, and then surge up into Naboo's clear, cloudless sky.

He didn't have to be a Jedi, or understand the Force, to sense the pain in his son-in-law's heart, as he watched the tiny ship's lights grow smaller and fainter in the velvety-black sky; he knew enough of what Anakin had been through already, from what Padmé had shared with him earlier that day, and he sighed, deeply, as his thoughts drifted back to the task that awaited Anakin in the morning.

Ruwee smiled, as he heard the welcome sound of the comlink that beeped several times from inside Anakin's pocket; her timing was perfect, he thought to himself, as he watched Anakin quickly pull the device from his pocket and lift it to his face.

"You okay, Angel?" Anakin asked, looking at the comlink intently as he pressed the switch on the side and opened the channel.

"_That's what I was calling to ask you,"_ Padmé's soft, soothing voice called over the comlink. Ruwee chuckled to himself, looking at Anakin with a grin; he could see his son-in-law's troubled face brighten as he glanced back at him, shaking his head slowly.

"How does she do that?" Ruwee sighed, laughing under his breath as he watched a smile spread slowly across Anakin's face.

"I'm fine," Anakin sighed, as he looked back up at the sky thoughtfully, watching as the lights of the tiny ship faded into the field of stars above them. "Is everything alright? Are you and the little ones okay?"

"_We're fine, Ani," Padmé_ replied, her voice soft and warm as she spoke; Anakin smiled, and he closed his eyes as he felt the warm, wonderful wave of love sweep over him as she stretched out to him with her feelings. It was strong, almost intoxicating; he could feel her heart touch his own, speaking silently and comfortingly to him, more strongly than he had ever felt it.

"_I just wanted find out when you were coming home," _Padmé said softly, as he opened his eyes and looked back at the comlink in his hand. "_And to tell you how much I love you, that's all."_

Ruwee smiled, as he heard Padmé's soft, comforting voice as she spoke to Anakin; he didn't begin to understand the almost magical bond that existed between his daughter and her husband, but he didn't really need to. Padmé had known, somehow, that Anakin was hurting, and even he knew that his daughter had called her husband for just one purpose, to let him know that she was with him, and that she loved him. It was no wonder, he thought to himself, that she had left that night and gone after him, without any regard for herself or her own safety; she couldn't live without Anakin, anymore than he could live without her.

Anakin smiled, as he and Ruwee exchanged a long, thoughtful glance. "I love you too, Padmé," Anakin said softly, as he looked back at the comlink in his hand. "We're getting ready to lock things up now. We should be heading home in a little while."

"_Okay," _Anakin heard Padmé's cheerful, sweet voice reply. "_Be safe, then, and I'll see you when you get home. I love you."_

"I love you," Anakin replied quietly, as he heard the comlink beep again, and then fall silent.

"Come on, son," Ruwee said quietly, squeezing Anakin's shoulder tightly as Anakin returned the comlink to his pocket and looked back at him. "Let's not keep her waiting," he said, as, patting Anakin's back soundly, the two of them turned and started back toward the workshop behind them. "It's time to go home."

* * *

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, as he felt the warm, dry air touch his face as he and Shanda walked slowly down the _Falcon's _entry ramp; he looked over at her and smiled, as he watched her look out with a look of profound wonder at the dry, golden sand that stretched out, as far as they could see, as Tatooine's larger sun slipped up over the horizon, casting a bright, golden sheen to the desert landscape.

"Is it always so windy here?" Shanda asked, reaching up and pushing her long, dusky red hair out of her eyes as another gust of warm, dry air whipped past them.

"Most of the time," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he stepped down onto the course, gold sand; he immediately recognized the familiar crunch of the sand under his boots, even though he hadn't been on this dry, arid planet since that day he had left it, along with his master, and Anakin, over fifteen years ago.

He turned and looked at Shanda, watching her with a smile as she held onto the ramp's support strut and looked out over the small homestead that lay a short distance from them; he chuckled to himself, as he saw the look of wonder and amazement on her face. She had spent all of her life on Coruscant, at the Jedi Temple, and, with everything that had happened, he hadn't really realized that this was a whole new experience for her.

"You seem a little overwhelmed," Obi-Wan said, as he extended his hand to her and helped her down from the ramp onto the coarse sand. He laughed again, as he watched her pause, and then take a few cautious steps on the strange, shifting surface.

"I've never seen sand before, except in pictures," Shanda said, looking up at Obi-Wan with a bright smile. "This is really pretty neat."

"Ha!" Obi-Wan laughed, as he watched Shanda shuffle her boots through the coarse, golden sand as she took a few more cautious steps, looking up at him with a curious smile. "I can't wait to let you tell Anakin that, as soon as we talk to him. He grew up here, you know," Obi-Wan said, as he walked up to Shanda and pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head.

"Did he really?" Shanda asked, reaching up and tucking her hair underneath the hood of her tan-colored cloak. "Is that why we're here?"

"You'll probably want to leave this up, while we're out in the open," Obi-Wan said, as he reached up and tossed his own hood up over his thick, brown hair. "And yes," he said, nodding his head with a smile. "That's why we're here."

"And here comes the welcoming committee, now," Obi-Wan said, looking back over his shoulder as he saw the two cloaked figures climb up the stairs that led down into the small, dome-shaped house in the distance and start across the barren sand toward them.

"Come on, Shanda," he said, looking back at her as she pulled her cloak tight around her as another gust of wind tore past them, and then started to follow along beside him. "There's someone I want you to meet."

* * *

Obi-Wan looked up from his seat in the large, round living room, as Owen stepped through the door and started over to where he and Bail sat near the center of the room. They both turned their attention to him, as he walked up and extended his hand to Obi-Wan.

"Here it is," Owen said, as Obi-Wan reached up and took the small, translucent disk from him. "Everything that Anakin sent is right here," he said, as he sat down in the chair across from them and watched, as Obi-Wan picked up the small datapad that rested on the small table in front of him.

"He said you'll need to use the key he gave you to access that," Owen said, leaning forward in his chair a bit as he reached over and picked up the tall, smooth cup that rested on the table in front of him.

"I figured as much," Obi-Wan nodded, as he reached into his belt and produced the encryption key that Anakin had given him, snapping it quickly into the keyslot on the side of the datapad. "Anakin's not one for taking chances these days," he said, looking back at Owen with a grin, as he watched Anakin's stepbrother take a sip from the cup in his hand.

"No, that he's not," Owen chuckled, shaking his head slowly as he leaned back in his chair. "He called back, twice, to make sure that I deleted that data off our system after I transferred it to that disk for you," he said, pointing at the small disk in Obi-Wan's hand, watching him as he popped it into the small, tablet-like device. "Beru finally convinced him that I did."

"He trusts her more, huh?" Bail asked, looking back at Owen as he shook his head and laughed quietly.

"No," Owen said, pausing as he took another sip from the cup in his hand. "She can just tell him to shut up, and get away with it," he chuckled. "She and Padmé are the only two I know who can do that."

"Well, he did good, making sure you did that," Obi-Wan sighed, looking at the data that scrolled across the display in his hands intently, as the screen suddenly blinked to life. "If Palpatine knew you had this," he said, looking back at Owen quite seriously, "your lives could be in danger as much as our own."

Owen raised his eyebrows, nodding slowly as he studied Obi-Wan's serious expression for a moment. "What exactly, is all of that?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair and placing his cup on the table in front of him. "If you don't mind me asking, that is?"

"It's the demographic data for every Jedi in the Order," Obi-Wan said, looking back at Bail and Owen as they listened to him intently. "Information on their families, their current assignments, everything," he said, turning his attention back to the data as he tapped the controls and scrolled through it slowly.

"So, you're hoping to use this," Bail said, picking up his cup from the table and leaning back on the couch beside Obi-Wan, "to find any of the Jedi who might have survived Palpatine's initial attack."

"That's right," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he looked back at him thoughtfully. "When Anakin and I switched the beacon at the Temple, after Palpatine launched his initial attack, we did it hoping that at least _some _of the Jedi would get the warning soon enough to get clear of the Clone forces that were looking for them before it was too late."

"The problem is," Obi-Wan sighed, looking back at the datapad as he continued to scroll through the immense amount of data, "Anakin and I told them to get clear and do whatever was necessary to protect themselves. We don't know for sure who survived, or where they might've gone."

"Hopefully," Bail said, reaching over and taking the datapad from Obi-Wan as he handed it to him, "Breha and I will be able to help you with that."

"I'm sure you can," Obi-Wan said, watching as Bail studied the data on the display quietly. "But it might take a while, especially since we're going to need to be extremely careful. If Palpatine were to find out what we were up to, we're as good as dead," he said, looking back at Bail and Owen intently. "And those children will be, too."

"And that's where you and Beru come in," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention back to Owen again. "It may take us quite a while to find the Jedi we'll need," he said, watching as Owen took another sip from his cup. "We're going to need your help to care for them, in the mean time."

"Not a problem," Owen said, nodding his head firmly and sitting his cup back down on the table in front of him. "With Andar's help, we should be able to take care of them for as long as we need to."

"Andar?" Bail asked, looking back at Owen curiously. "You mean Andar Gandh?"

"Yes," Owen nodded. "You know him?"

"I know _of_ him," Bail said, nodding his head as he handed the datapad back to Obi-Wan again. "He's one of the local trade barons, if I'm not mistaken," he said, turning his attention back to Owen again. "One of the few that's been able to stay in business in spite of the Hutts."

"Do you trust him?" Obi-Wan asked Owen, as he leaned forward and placed the datapad on the table in front of him.

"Implicitly," Owen nodded, quite firmly. "He's been a friend of Dad's since they were five years old," he said, looking back over his shoulder into the kitchen behind them as he heard Beru and Shanda talking, quite happily, with his father. "He's more family, than friend. Dad talked to him the day that you first contacted us."

"He loves children, and he's already made preparations for them at his estate," Owen said, turning his attention back to Bail and Obi-Wan again. "It's remote, several hours from here, but that's probably a good thing. Andar's managed to build his fortune and compete against the Hutts by staying low key and out of sight," he said, looking back at them with a sly smile. "Believe me, he's just the guy we're looking for."

"Besides, Anakin helped him out a few years back," Owen said, smiling slyly. "He dotes on Anakin pretty well now, and he owes us a favor."

"Will he be able to handle that many of them?" Obi-Wan asked. "We are talking about thirty-seven children, after all," he said, shaking his head slowly. "They're well behaved, but it's still quite a job. We don't know how long it may take us to place all of them."

"Andar's got servants coming out of his ears," Owen chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "They'll be well cared for, and well entertained," he said, watching as Bail and Obi-Wan both looked at each other for a long moment. "I can assure you of that."

"Given the news that we just received from home," Bail sighed, looking back at Obi-Wan and raising his eyebrow slyly, "That gives us thirty-seven less things to worry about, at least for the time being."

"News?" Owen asked, looking at them both curiously. "What news?"

"We ran into a little trouble, when we were leaving Coruscant," Obi-Wan sighed; he reached over and tapped the datapad in front of him, watching it silently as it powered itself off, and then turned his attention back to Bail again.

"Breha got a communiqué from home this morning, just before we arrived," Bail said, leaning forward and folding his hands thoughtfully as he rested his elbows on is knees. "It seems that Emperor Palapatine has the bulk of his clone army combing the galaxy, looking for a mysterious ship that fought its way out of the newly acclaimed 'Imperial System' a short time ago."

"Mysterious ship?" Owen asked, raising his eyebrow knowingly as he watched Obi-Wan and Bail exchange pained glances. "Yours?"

"Yes," Bail sighed, nodding his head slowly. "It's a foregone conclusion that I'll never be able to take the _Falcon _home again," he said, as he rubbed his hands together thoughtfully. "But that's not the worst of it."

"It seems that our friend, here, is a wanted man with a price on his head," Bail said, turning his eyes back to Obi-Wan, watching him as he leaned back in his chair and sighed, deeply. "And a very steep one, at that."

"Well," Owen sighed, leaning back in his own chair and looking at them, thoughtfully, "solving the problem with the ship's not so much of a problem," he said. "The Hutts, and the people they work for, are always looking for ships, and they don't particularly care about their history."

"A freighter like yours should be pretty easy to unload, at a place like Mos Isley," Owen said, turning the cup in his hand slowly, a thoughtful look on his round face. "And you could probably find a new one reasonably quickly."

"But the price on your head is another thing, entirely," Owen said, looking back at Obi-Wan, his expression growing deeply serious. "It's a fair bet that the bounty hunters will already be looking for you."

"I know," Obi-Wan sighed; he looked back over his shoulder, toward the kitchen, as he heard Shanda and Beru laugh again.

"And I hate to ask you this, given everything that you've already done, Owen," he said, as he turned his attention back to Anakin's stepbrother again. "But there's something that I'd like you and Beru to consider."

* * *

"Shanda," Obi-Wan called, leaning his head around the kitchen door and looking out toward the living area, where Shanda sat quietly. "Could you come in here for a few minutes?"

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda replied obediently, and he watched her with a smile as she stood up and walked quickly toward him.

"Oh," Shanda said, looking up at Obi-Wan as he placed his hand on her shoulder as she stepped into the kitchen beside him. "Senator Organa wanted me to tell you that they're ready to leave as soon as you are."

"Good," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he led Shanda into the kitchen; she looked up at him, a little puzzled, as she saw Owen and Beru sitting at the small table near the center of the kitchen. "Before we go, though," he said, walking her to the table and pulling out the chair between Owen and Beru for her, "there's something that we all need to talk about."

"What is it, Master Obi-Wan?" Shanda asked, looking up at him curiously as she sat down at the table beside Beru. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Shanda," Obi-Wan said, turning his attention to the chair in the corner of the room; Shanda smiled, as she watched him extend his hand toward it and,with a smooth, fluid motion, it slid effortlessly across the floor into his hand.

"There's just something we wanted to talk about with you," he said, as he spun the chair around and sat down in it beside her. "Something very important."

"I know you're aware of what we're planning to do, for the children," Obi-Wan said, looking at her as she nodded, listening to him intently. "Aren't you?"

"Yes," Shanda said, nodding her head firmly. "You're going to put them with the Jedi who can take care of them, and help them finish their training."

"That's right," Obi-Wan said, looking back at her with a smile. "And I don't mind telling you," he said, looking at her proudly, "that those Jedi are going to have a hard time taking better care of them than you did."

"Thank you, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, smiling at him gratefully. "But what does all this have to do with me?"

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, glancing over at Owen and Beru thoughtfully as he spoke, "There's still the issue of what we're going to do with you, now that we've found someone to care for the children until we can get them where they need to be."

"Oh," Shanda said quietly, looking down at her hands thoughtfully; she hadn't really thought about herself, and her own fate, since this ordeal had begun.

Obi-Wan felt that familiar pain prick his heart again, as he saw that same look in Shanda's eyes, the same one he had seen in Anakin's so many years ago; he could sense the fear, the uncertainty, that flowed through her as, for the first time since this ordeal had begun, she thought of herself, instead of the little ones that she had watched over so carefully.

"Andar has plenty of servants to look after them, until we can get them relocated," Obi-Wan said, standing up from his chair and walking over toward the window, looking out over Tatooine's darkening skies as he spoke. "So they probably won't be needing you to watch over them, anymore," he said, looking back at Shanda with a smile. "Besides, if they saw the job that you did they'd never measure up."

"And then, there's this whole issue with that saber I gave you yesterday," he said, watching her as she looked down at the clear, translucent weapon that hung on her belt.

"I can give it back to you, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, reaching down to the belt at her waist, nodding her head obediently. "I know it belonged to someone very special."

"It does belong to someone very special," Obi-Wan said, smiling as he walked back over and sat down quickly beside her; she looked down, as he reached over and placed his hand on hers, stopping her as she started to unfasten the weapon from her belt.

"It belongs to my new padawan," Obi-Wan said, looking at her with a smile as she turned her astonished face back up to him. "That is, if you're willing to take me as your new master."

"Really?" Shanda asked, glancing over at Beru and Owen, watching them as they laughed softly to themselves as they saw the look of shocked amazement on her face. "You want me to be your new padawan?"

"It won't be an easy road, Shanda," Obi-Wan said, placing his hand on her shoulder and looking at her thoughtfully as he spoke. "It's going to be tough, for both of us, with everything that's happened," he said, nodding his head slowly. "But if you're willing to try," he said, looking at her with a smile as he squeezed her shoulder gently, "then so am I."

"I'd consider it an honor, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, her face beaming brightly as she spoke. "I promise, I'll do the best job I can."

"I know you will, Shanda," Obi-Wan said, his own face beaming nearly as brightly as hers. "You've already proven that," he said, smiling at her proudly. "Several times over."

"Now, there's only one thing left to figure out," Obi-Wan said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest thoughtfully. "And that's where you're going to live."

"Couldn't I just stay with you?" Shanda asked, looking back at him curiously, watching him as he shook his head firmly.

"No," Obi-Wan said, resolutely. "Vader's put a price on my head, Shanda," he said, looking back at her, a deeply serious expression on his face. "Half the clone army's going to be combing this galaxy for me until they find me. It's going to be hard enough for me to avoid him, as it is," he said. "And I'm not willing to risk your life in the process."

"Well," Beru chimed in, watching as Obi-Wan and Shanda turned their attention to her. "It seems like the best thing, then, would be for her to stay here with us."

Beru laughed again, as she saw the look of shocked amazement return to Shanda's young face. "Really?" Shanda asked, her voice barely audible as she watched Owen and Beru smile back at her. "I could live here? With you?"

"Seems like a perfect arrangement to me," Owen said, looking back at her thoughtfully. "You live here, with us, and Obi-Wan can come help you with your training whenever..." he paused, chuckling to himself as he waved his hands haphazardly in front of him, "whenever you Jedi do that sort of thing."

"But life on a moisture farm's not an easy life, Shanda," Beru said, watching the bright-eyed teenager as she listened to her intently. "There's a lot of things you'll have to learn, about life out here in the desert, but we can teach you all of that," she said, glancing back at Obi-Wan, "just like Master Kenobi can teach you all the things you'll need to know to become a Jedi."

"But the important thing to remember is that we all work together," Beru said, looking at her with a smile as she reached over and placed her hand gently on Shanda's.

"Besides," Owen said, looking at Beru and winking at her slyly, "What's one more Jedi in this family, anyway?"

Obi-Wan smiled brightly; he took a long, deep breath, laughing quietly to himself as he felt the sense of wonder and amazement that swept over Shanda as she looked back at Beru's kind, smiling face.

"Family?" Shanda asked, her voice barely audible as she looked back at Beru and squeezed her hand tightly. "I never had a family," she said, shaking her head slowly, her eyes glistening brightly as she spoke. "The Jedi found me in an orphanage, when I was two years old."

"I know," Beru said quietly, as she squeezed Shanda's hand gently. "We'd like to change that," she said, a bright smile on her face as she spoke. "If that's okay with you."

"Well, my young padawan?" Obi-Wan asked, as he, Beru and Owen stood up slowly; he placed his hand on Shanda's shoulder, watching her as she turned her bright, glistening eyes back up to them. "What do you say?"

Obi-Wan swallowed, hard, as he sensed the wave of happy emotions that flowed over Shanda as she stood up from her chair and flung her arms around Beru; he looked over at Owen, a bright smile on his face, as they watched Beru wrap her arms around Shanda and hug her tightly, as the dusky-haired girl began to sob quietly in her arms.

"I think that's a yes," Obi-Wan said, chuckling quietly as he reached over and patted Owen's back soundly.

"I think you're right," Owen said, as Shanda's happy sobs slowly began to turn into laughter.

* * *

Anakin stopped, as he stepped through the kitchen doorway and into the living room, as he saw Sola look up at him and place her finger quickly to her lips.

"Shhhh," she whispered, glancing over at the couch beside her as he walked, as quietly as he could, into the living room, a curious smile spreading across his face as he looked at his sister-in-law's smiling face.

He stopped, as he came to the chair where Sola sat; Sola looked up at him, watching him with a smile, as he tossed the jacket in his hand across the back of the couch and gazed quietly at her.

"How long has she been asleep?" Anakin whispered, looking back at her again.

"Not long," Sola whispered, as Anakin knelt quietly in front of her. "Luke was up a little while ago, and she just put him back to bed, not long before you got home."

"I know she's exhausted," Anakin whispered, looking at her peaceful, sleeping face as the softly flickering firelight danced across it. "She hasn't really had time to get over her surg..."

Anakin stopped himself in mid-sentence; he turned and looked back at Sola quickly, realizing what he had almost said. He sighed, a feeling of welcome relief sweeping over him, as he watched Sola lift her eyebrow and look at him with a knowing smile.

"Don't worry, little brother," Sola whispered, nodding her head slowly as she saw the sheepish look on his face. "You can talk to me. Padmé's already told me everything."

"Everything?" Anakin whispered in reply, looking at her curiously. "Even about..."

He paused again, gesturing to his neck just below his left ear, where his old padawan braid had been, so many years ago.

"Yes," Sola grinned, nodding her head slowly as she looked back at him. "Even that."

Sola and Anakin smiled at each other quietly, for a long moment; her smiled widened, and she sighed, deeply, as she watched him close his eyes as he leaned down and kissed her baby sister, very softly, on the cheek.

"So," Sola whispered, as she watched Anakin pull their old, colorful blanket up farther over Padmé's shoulders. "I hear good things about you, little brother," she said, watching Anakin as he stood up, very slowly, and then sat down on the small table in front of her.

"Good things about me?" Anakin asked, curiously. "Like what?"

"About how you've been taking care of my baby sister, and your new children," she nodded. "Not to mention the thousands of lives you've saved in the past few days."

"Well," Anakin sighed, shaking his head slowly as he looked up at her with a weak smile. "Don't believe everything you hear," he said. "She gives me a lot more credit than I deserve."

"Oh, I think not," Sola smiled, shaking her head slowly as she looked up at him proudly. "She told me about what you did, when she got hurt in that cavern, and when she went into labor," she said, her eyes glistening brightly in the soft firelight, from the tears that began to well up in them as she took Anakin's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I know I've told you this before, Anakin," Sola whispered, as she watched him smile back at her. "But only a handful of people are ever meant to be together they way that you and Padmé are," she said.

"We've always known that she was special," Sola said, as she and Anakin looked back at her sister as she slept on the couch beside them. "She was always so busy, and working so hard for everyone else, that I was always afraid that she'd never find the one that could love her the way she deserved to be loved."

Anakin looked back at Sola, as he felt her squeeze his hand again. "I'm so glad she found you, Anakin," she whispered, smiling at him brightly as she spoke. "We all are."

They looked at each other for a long moment, and Anakin smiled again, as he watched her reach up and wipe away the tear that stood on her cheek. "So," Sola said softly, "When does my baby sister start her training to be your pada, padoo..." she paused, looking at Anakin curiously as he laughed softly at her.

"_Padawan," _he laughed, softly, looking back at Padmé fondly as she slept on the couch beside him. "Whenever she's ready," he sighed, looking back at Sola thoughtfully. "Knowing her," he said, raising his eyebrow slyly as he looked back at her, "That'll be tomorrow."

Sola looked at him, curiously, as she watched his expression grow much more thoughtful. "What is it, Anakin?" she asked, after a long moment.

"She's counting on me, to teach her all the things she's going to need to know," Anakin said softly, as he looked back at Sola, a deeply worried expression on his young face. "I mean, I was comfortable when I was just teaching her how to feel the Force, and to understand what it was telling her," he said. "But this it completely different, now."

Sola smiled, as she watched him look back at his wife again for a long, quiet moment. "I've always had Master Yoda, and Master Obi-Wan to fall back on, when I needed help," he said softly, shaking his head slowly as he spoke. "Even when I was training her, before, I knew that Master Yoda would be there to check up on what I was doing."

"But this is for real, now," Anakin said quietly, turning his troubled, worried face back to Sola again. "Her life, and our children's, could depend on what I teach her."

He looked back at Padmé again. "I just don't want to let her down, Sola," he said, shaking his head slowly as he looked back at his sister-in-law again.

"Anakin," Sola said with a smile, leaning forward and taking his hand in hers again, "Did Master Yoda tell you what Padmé told him just before you left, to go and pick up that core?"

"No," Anakin said quietly, looking back at Sola's smiling face apprehensively.

"Master Yoda told her, when they were saying goodbye," Sola said, looking down at Anakin's hand and smiling softly as she spoke, "that she shouldn't be afraid, that she should trust in the Force, and listen to what you told her, and she'd do just fine."

Sola looked up at Anakin, a bright smile on her face as she squeezed his hand again tightly. "Padmé told him that she wasn't afraid, at all," she said, watching Anakin as he looked back at Padmé thoughtfully.

"How could she be, she asked him," Sola said, as she and Anakin both looked back at Padmé in the soft, flickering firelight, "when the greatest Jedi who ever lived was her mentor, and her husband?"

Sola smiled, as she watched him look back at her. "She said that?" he asked, an astonished smile on his face.

"Of course," Sola said, nodding her head slowly, watching Anakin as he looked back at Padmé quietly for a long moment. "Did you really think she felt any other way?"

"And she's right, little brother," Sola said, smiling at Anakin brightly as he turned his attention back to her again. "And she's not the only one who feels that way."

"Padmé believes in you, Anakin, just like we all do," Sola said, nodding her head and looking at him proudly. "The only one who doubts you," she said, as she squeezed his hand again, "Is you."

Anakin smiled, as he and Sola looked at each other for a long moment; he took a long, deep breath, exhaling slowly as he looked back at Padmé again, watching her as she slept peacefully beside him.

"Thanks, Sola," Anakin said, looking back at his sister-in-law as she smiled back at him; they both looked back down the hallway toward their bedrooms, as they suddenly heard Leia's soft, quiet cry begin to echo from Anakin and Padmé's bedroom.

"Why don't you get her to bed, and I'll take care of Leia?" Sola said, as they both looked back at each other again. "Besides," she said, smiling brightly as she stood up from the chair and squeezed his hand again, 'I haven't gotten to hold her once this evening."

"Okay," Anakin said, and he watched her for a moment as she headed down the hallway toward their bedroom.

Anakin stood up and, as gently as he could, he picked Padmé up off the couch and cradled her in his arms; he smiled, as she moaned softly and wrapped her arm tightly around his neck as she snuggled close to him.

"Come on, Angel," he whispered softly, as he turned and started toward their bedroom. "You need to get a good night's sleep," he said. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

* * *

Anakin looked up at the tall, domed building as he stepped off the transport onto the busy street; even at this early hour of the morning, Naboo's capitol city was bustling with people and activity.

It had been a long time since he had been here. Their quiet life in their home town of Venecia gave them few occasions to travel to this busy, bustling city, and it had taken them about two hours to reach Theed by public transport. Anakin reached up and flipped up the collar of the light jacket that he wore, as he stepped out into the cool morning air; it was chilly this morning, and he stuck his hands in his pockets to warm them, as he turned and watched Artoo roll, somewhat clumsily, down the ramp onto the sidewalk beside him.

"Well, Artoo," Anakin sighed, his breath fogging in the cool air as he looked up at the massive, ornamental government building that loomed ahead of them. "Are you ready to go and change history?" he asked, looking back at his little round companion with a sly smile as he rolled up next to him.

Anakin pulled the small translator display from his pocket, smiling as he saw Artoo's long string of beeps and whistles scroll across the small display in his hand. "Good," he said, reaching over and patting Artoo's shiny, silver dome as the two of them began to make their way along the busy sidewalk that lead to the Ministry Administration building. "Let's do our job, and get out of here as quick as we can, okay?"

He looked back at the display in his hand, as Artoo let fly with another long series of anxious whistles and clicks. "That's okay," Anakin said, returning the display to his pocket and shaking his head as he looked back at his little companion. "You just keep it tucked into that compartment in the top of your head," he said, watching as Artoo swung his sensors toward him as he rolled along beside him.

"I'm hoping to accomplish this little mission _without_ a lightsaber," he said, laughing quietly to himself as the two of them made their way, as quickly as they could, through the crowds and the cool morning air to the building ahead of them.

Anakin paused, as he walked through the large, ornamental doors into the Ministry Administration building's large atrium; he felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck, as he spotted the two clone troopers that stood near the main desk in the center of the large, open-aired atrium.

"Damn," he whispered under his breath, as he and Artoo began to make their way slowly toward the central information desk again. "It didn't take them long to get here, did it?" he whispered, glancing down at Artoo as he rolled along quietly beside him.

Anakin had known that he needed to get this done, and as quickly as possible; he felt his resolve harden, however, as he watched the two troopers as they eyed the various workers that entered the building with keen interest. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the small coded datacard that he had forged the night before in his shop as he stepped up quickly, with Artoo at his side, to the end of the short line that led to the main registration desk.

It only took a moment for him to reach the desk, and he forced a pleasant smile as the attended looked up at him as he stepped up and rested his elbows on the desk in front of her.

"Can I help you, sir?" the pleasant, dark-haired young woman asked, as she smiled up at him.

"Yes," Anakin said, glancing over quickly at the clone trooper that turned his attention to him as he spoke. "I'm with the Ministry's service department," he said politely, as he handed the small datacard to the girl at the desk, watching her as she looked at it closely. "My Artoo unit and I are here to service the access terminals on the maintenance level."

"I wasn't aware we were having any problems," the young lady said, shaking her head slowly as she furrowed her brow and studied the datacard that Anakin had handed her closely.

"Apparently, they weren't either," Anakin chuckled, as he folded his arms and rested them on the desk, looking at her with a bright, charming smile. "They called in the request late last night," he said, glancing over at the clone trooper as he stepped up to the desk and looked at the card in the young woman's hand.

"What's with the military boys, here?" Anakin asked, nodding his head and smiling at the trooper as he eyed him suspiciously.

"Just some increased security," the young woman said, looking up at Anakin with a smile as she swiped the card through the reader on the terminal in front of her. "Nothing to worry about."

Anakin swallowed hard, as he waited, for what seemed like an eternity; he would find out soon, he thought to himself, if he was really as clever as Padmé always said he was, as he heard the display beep as the young woman looked at it intently.

"Well," she said, looking back at Anakin and handing the datacard back to him with a smile. "It seems you're correct," she said, pleasantly. "Do you know how to find your way to the maintenance level?" she asked, watching him as he tucked the card back into his jacket pocket.

"Oh, yeah," Anakin smiled, tossing the young lady a wink as he watched the trooper continue to eye him warily. "Been here lots of times, and probably will again."

"Come on, dumpy," Anakin said, reaching down and rapping Artoo's dome soundly. "Let's get this finished and get out of here," he said, as they both started toward the lift entrance at the right side of the atrium. "I've got somewhere to be in a few hours," he said, glancing over and smiling at the trooper who stood near him.

Anakin glanced back over his shoulder; he sighed, quite deeply, as he saw the trooper turn his attention to the next person who waited at the desk. He turned his attention back to Artoo, as he heard his little droid beep and whistle again, a somewhat irritated and testy tone to his electronic voice.

"Sorry, Artoo," Anakin whispered, as he pulled the small display from his pocket, looking at the message that scrolled across it. "I was just trying to make it look convincing," he said, as the two of them made their way quickly onto the lift, and headed toward the maintenance level below.

* * *

Anakin opened the door, just enough to see clearly out into the hallway; he watched, anxiously, as the guard strolled closer and closer toward them, as he approached the junction fifteen or twenty meters from the room where he and Artoo worked.

Anakin raised his hand, and, just as the guard approached the narrow hallway, he reached deeply into the Force, gesturing toward the adjacent hall; he watched, a sly smile spreading across his face, as the guard suddenly turned and trotted quickly down the hallway away from them.

"Noisy places, these government buildings," Anakin said quietly, turning and looking back at his little Artoo unit as he closed the door again quietly and locked it. "How's it coming, Artoo?" he asked, walking quickly across the room and taking a seat at the console beside the access terminal where Artoo worked. "Are you in the system yet?"

Anakin watched the display in front of him, as Artoo swung his dome toward him and whistled quietly. He smiled, as he saw the translation scroll across the display, as the system began to scroll through the official government databases at lightning speed.

"You know I never doubt you, Artoo," Anakin said, reaching over and patting his little droid's dome soundly as he turned his attention back to the display in front of him. "Bring up everything you can find on Padmé's official service records," he said, as he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out the small datadisc he had brought with him.

"Cross reference those databases every way you can," Anakin said, as he popped the disk into the console in front of him and called up the information he had entered the night before. "I don't want to miss a single piece of information, understand?"

Anakin watched the display intently, as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest; he took a deep breath and sighed, deeply, as he watched Artoo scroll through the government records database at lightning speed.

Anakin leaned forward in his chair, looking at the display intently as Artoo whistled again, very softly, and swung his dome back toward him.

"Good work, Artoo," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly, as he saw his wife's image suddenly appear on the display in front of him. He took another long, thoughtful breath, as he scrolled through the file, shaking his head slowly as he saw the endless list of commendations, awards, and service honors that Padmé had accumulated throughout her career.

"We're going to come back here someday, Artoo," Anakin said, as his fingers tapped the control pad quickly as he transferred the data in Padmé's file to the disk he had brought with him. "And we're going to put history back the way it's supposed to be," he said, nodding his head firmly as he popped the small disk out of the drive, looking at his thoughtfully as he held it up in front of him.

"Padmé worked too hard, for too long," Anakin said, as he looked at the datadisc intently as he turned it slowly, watching as the room's service lights reflected brightly off of it's polished, translucent surface. "And I'm damn sure not going to let that bastard Palpatine take that from her."

"Okay, Artoo," Anakin said, looking back at his droid as he tucked the disk securely into his pocket. "You know what to do," he sighed, as he looked back at Padmé's file on the display in front of him as Artoo whistled obediently, and then began to spin the control wheels at the access terminal quickly. "So let's do it and get it over with."

"I'm sorry, baby," Anakin whispered, as he watched record after record disappear from Padmé's file. "I'll set things right again, I promise," he said, shaking his head slowly as everything but his wife's image disappeared from the screen in front of him. "If it's the last thing I ever do."

"Okay, Artoo," Anakin said, nodding his head as he stood up slowly from the terminal where he sat. "Load it up," he said, as he turned his eyes back toward the display again. "And let's get the hell out of here."

Anakin folded his arms tightly across his chest, as he watched the information that he had given Artoo the night before begin to scroll quickly across the display, as he and his little companion began to quietly rewrite history.

* * *

"Here you are, sir," the waitress said, smiling politely at Anakin as she handed the small datapad to him. "The library terminal you requested," she said, watching him as he popped the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth and looked up at her with a sheepish smile, as he wiped his hands quickly on the napkin in his lap.

"Sorry," Anakin said, his voice muffled as he chewed; he smiled at her politely as he took the datapad from her. "Thanks," he said, munching contentedly, and he watched her as she smiled at him politely, and then went back to tending her other customers at the small, open air café a few blocks from the Ministry building.

"Well, Artoo," Anakin said, as he swallowed the last bite of his sandwich and picked up his glass; he paused, and Artoo watched him as he took a long, thirsty swig, and then sat the glass back down the table in front of him. "What do you say you and I check and see how good a job we did, huh?" he said, looking back at his little droid with a smile.

Anakin leaned back in his chair, tapping the controls on the slim, rectangular terminal quickly as he called up the main library database. He narrowed his eyes in the bright sunlight, looking out and watching the people that milled about the busy street behind him, as he waited for the terminal to complete its link to the database.

Anakin turned his attention back to the terminal in his hand; he lowered it down under the edge of the table where he sat, shielding it from the bright sunlight, so that he could see it better; he smiled, nodding his head slowly, as he read the summary information that appeared in the display in response to his query:

_Database entry for: Amidala, Padmé_

_Birth Name: Unavailable_

_Service record: Served in Refuge Relief Movement, Shadda-Bi-Boran Exodus, at age 7. Joined Apprentice Legislature, age 8. Elected Apprentice Legislator, with Honors, age 11._

_Elected Honorable Queen of Naboo, Awarded Title of Amidala, age 14. Re-elected for second term, age 17._

_Elected to Republic Senate, age 21. Retired, with Honors, age 24._

_Distinguished Service Awards:_

_Honored Service Award for Decorated Service, Trade Federation Invasion. Recipient of Republic Star for Distinquished Service to the Republic. Recipient of Peace Laureate Ribbon._

_Personal Data:_

_Married, Age 24, Husband: Anakin Skywalker Birth Place: Unknown_

_Children: None_

_Special Notes:_

_Perished under mysterious circumstances, along with her husband, Anakin Skywalker._

_Death Records Confirmed On File At Hall of Records_

_**NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE**_

"Well, Artoo," Anakin said, as he shut off the terminal and placed it on the table in front of him, looking back at his little droid with a sly smile. "I'm afraid I have some terrible news," he said, as he reached into his pocket and tossed a handful of credits on the table on top of his napkin.

"It seems you're an orphan, my little friend," he said, shaking his head sadly as he stood up from his chair and watched, as Artoo rolled over quietly beside him. "I'm afraid your master, and your mistress, are officially dead."

Anakin reached into his pocket, pulling out the small display he kept there, as Artoo let fly with a long series of beeps and whistles. "No, I don't think so, Artoo," Anakin said, as he and Artoo made their way out of the café and back onto the busy streets of Theed. "Besides," he said, looking down at his little, round companion with a smile as he tucked his hands back into his pockets as they strolled slowly down the busy, crowded sidewalk, "We may be dead, but we still need you."

Anakin stopped, as his eye caught sight of the graceful, porcelain figure in the window of the shop beside him; he turned and stepped up to the glass, a bright smile spreading across his face as he looked at the figurine in the window for a long moment.

He had never seen one like it, and he knew he'd never see one again; a beautiful, porcelain angel, her wings outstretched, as she stood watch over the two small children that played at her feet.

"Wait here, Artoo," Anakin said, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the rest of the credits he had and looked at them with a smile. "I've got one more thing to do," he said, looking back at his little round droid with a grin. "And then we're going home."

Artoo watched him, as he walked through the door and into the shop, and then he turned his attention back to the street, whistling happily to himself, as he watched the throngs of people pass slowly by.


	20. Hope Reborn

_**Chapter 20: Hope, Reborn**_

Obi-Wan looked out of the _Millenium Falcon's _cockpit window, watching as the Corellian freighter's powerful thrusters kicked up a huge, whirling cloud of sand as Bail brought them down out of the dark, clear sky into the large, well-lit courtyard.

He had to admit, as his eyes scanned the massive estate below him as they descended slowly to the ground, that even _he _was impressed by the size of this oasis in the middle of Tatooine's wastelands.

"So how much do you know about this Andar Gandh?" Obi-Wan said, raising his eyebrow and looking back at his dark-haired companion, as he sat in the pilot's chair beside him.

"Only what I've been told," Bail said, as he reached over and cut the engines as they felt the _Falcon _drop to the desert floor with a solid thump. "From what I've heard," he said, looking back up at Obi-Wan as he powered down the ship's systems, "He's quite a businessman."

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked back out of the window beside him at the massive, affluent estate nestled between the mountains, "He must be," he said, glancing back at Bail with a suspicious smirk and gesturing toward the window beside him with his thumb, "to be able to live like this."

"Don't worry, Obi-Wan," Bail grinned, nodding his head as he grabbed the railing above him and climbed up out of the pilot's seat. "I haven't heard anything bad about him," he said, watching his Jedi companion as he stood up and looked back out of the window toward Andar's estate again. "And besides," he said, as Obi-Wan turned and looked back at him, "Owen trusts him. That means a lot."

"I know," Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked back out of the window again; he watched, as the small group of shadowy figures stepped out of the massive doors at the front of the estate, and walked quickly through the dark courtyard toward them. "I guess I'm just a little apprehensive, that's all," he said, looking back at Bail with a somewhat worried expression.

"Well, considering that you're now the most wanted man in the galaxy," Bail chuckled, as he patted Obi-Wan soundly on his shoulder, "That's probably a trait that will serve you well."

Obi-Wan nodded his head, slowly, as he watched Bail begin to laugh, quite heartily, as he started toward the back of the ship. "Thanks a lot," he grunted, tossing Bail a sarcastic smile as he followed along behind him.

* * *

"Senator Organa! What a rare, pleasant surprise, indeed!" the short, portly man exclaimed merrily; he extended his hands toward the tall senator, looking up at him with a pleasant smile as Bail stepped down off of the _Falcon's _entry ramp onto the sandy ground beneath it.

"I'm honored," Bail said, returning the man's pleasant smile as he stepped up to him and took his hand, squeezing it tightly. "You must be..."

"Andar Gandh, at your service, sir," the jolly, portly gentleman exclaimed, as he shook Bail's hand heartily. "I've heard a great deal about you, senator," Andar said, chuckling excitedly as he looked up at Bail's smiling face. "It's an honor to finally be able to put a face with the name."

"Thank you," Bail said, nodding politely and watching as Andar adjusted his cloak higher on his shoulders. "But it's we who are honored, and grateful," he said, nodding again, as he glanced over at the small group of people who watched them a short distance away. "For your help, and hospitality, during our time of need."

Bail regarded him, for a moment, as Andar looked up at him; he was a stout man, quite round, with large, burly hands and prominent features. His thick, bushy eyebrows rode high atop his bright merry eyes, as he smiled widely at Bail, and then turned his gaze to Obi-Wan as he stepped up off of the platform beside him.

"May I introduce Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," Bail said, placing his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder as he watched Andar extend his hand to him.

"Another great pleasure, indeed," Andar said, his face beaming brightly as he shook Obi-Wan's hand heartily. "And another name that I recognize, as well," he said, looking at Obi-Wan with a sly grin. "One of the great Jedi commanders of the ongoing battle in the Republic, if my memory serves me correctly."

"And your appearance is exactly as I expected it would be," Andar said, sizing Obi-Wan up quickly as he patted him soundly on his shoulder. "A great warrior and adventurer," he said, chuckling merrily as he placed his hands on the belt at his stout waist. "If ever I saw one."

"I'm sure the stories going around about me are greatly exaggerated," Obi-Wan chuckled, returning Andar's pleasant smile as he released his hand.

"Doubtful, indeed," Andar laughed, as he turned and motioned for the small group behind him to approach. "I've always considered myself something of an adventurer, as well," he said, glancing back at Obi-Wan, his eyes twinkling as he spoke. "We must share some stories over a draft or two as time permits."

"I'm intrigued, Andar," Obi-Wan said, a curious smile on his face as he watched the portly gentleman regard him with keen interest. "You seem to know an awful lot about us."

"Ah, but that's to be expected," Andar nodded, raising his eyebrow slyly. "In my line of work, you see, and with the people I deal with," he said, tucking his thumbs in his belt and standing up proudly as he spoke, "it's in my best interest to stay well-informed about the people I associate with."

"But, forgive me, I'm being rude," he said, placing his hand on the young woman's shoulder nearest him, as the three young ladies came and stood by his side. "Allow me to introduce my daughters," he said, looking back at the three young ladies proudly. "Tayja, Mindee, and Nadya," he said, turning a proud smile back to his two guests.

"Our pleasure, indeed," Bail said, as he and Obi-Wan nodded politely at the three lovely young girls; they were all quite attractive, with warm, pleasant smiles, and he judged them all to be in their late teens.

"The girls are quite excited, just as I and my wife are, about looking after your little ones for a time," Andar said. "I understand you have quite a few of them, if old Cleige Lars was correct?"

"Thirty six, to be exact," Obi-Wan said, watching the girls as they looked at each other. "I hope that's not too many?"

"Not at all," Andar said, waving his hands as he shook his head firmly. "The more the merrier, as far as my wife and I are concerned."

Well, bring them out, then," Andar chuckled, as he motioned toward the ship behind them. "I'm sure they're quite tired of being cooped up, and of traveling so much," he said, as he and his daughters followed Bail and Obi-Wan up the ramp and into the ship.

"No place for children, a tin can like this," he said, grinning back at Obi-Wan as he reached over and rapped the _Falcon's _hull soundly.

"Speaking of this tin can," Bail sighed, glancing up at the _Falcon's _hull thoughtfully as he made his way up the ramp, "Cleige and Owen tell me that you may have someone lined up who's interested in her."

"Indeed I do," Andar said, nodding his head firmly; Bail watched him as he quickly surveyed the _Falcon's _interior as he stepped inside. "A friend of mine, and he's very interested. He has need of a nice freighter like this one. I've arranged for us to meet with him tomorrow morning, in Mos Eisley," he said, turning his attention back to Bail again.

"But first, let's get you and these children settled for the evening," he said, a merry smile returning to his round, pleasant face as they made their way into the central crew cabin. "Once they're settled and their bellies are full, we'll talk more about business, eh?"

"Andar," Obi-Wan said, watching as their new portly friend turned his attention back to him, "Do you have a com station I could make use of later? There's someone I need to contact, as quickly as possible."

"Of course," Andar nodded. "The latest and best, if I may say so," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan proudly. "I'll be happy to show it to you, soon as we get inside."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said; he took a deep breath, pausing by the bulkhead for just a moment, as he watched Bail introduce Breha to the children's new caretaker. He sighed, quite deeply, as he pulled the small datadisk from his belt and looked at it for a long moment.

_How did it all come to this, _he thought to himself; Obi-Wan allowed himself, for the first time, to slow down and think of everything that had transpired since that night when he and Anakin had left Naboo, on a simple mission to rescue Chancellor Palpatine.

Now, for all he knew, these children were all that remained of the Jedi Order, and he was placing them in the care of someone he had only met a moment ago. His closest friends on the Council were dead, and the only remaining one that he knew of was on his way to a distant world, to hide all that remained of their ancient order from the Dark Lord of the Sith. Even worse, Anakin and Padmé were now committed to a dangerous game of hide and seek, with their lives, and the lives of their children, hanging in the balance.

Obi-Wan sighed again, quite deeply, as his thoughts centered on the only thing that he was certain of anymore; Vader was looking for him, along with, quite possibly, every bounty hunter in the galaxy.

Obi-Wan looked back up, watching the children as Bail introduced them to Andar and his daughters. He needed to talk to Anakin. And soon.

* * *

It was a wondrous, beautiful sky.

She pulled the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders, as she looked up into the crystal clear sky, a look of wonder and amazement on her young face. She shivered, just a little, but she fought off the cool chill that tried to run down her spine as she sat on the small table behind the house, looking up at the massive expanse of Tatooine's ebony sky above her.

She had never seen so many stars; she had spent the entirety of her young life on Coruscant, in the Jedi Temple, and the great planet's many lights obscured all but the largest and brightest of the stars that dotted the heavens there. Yet here, even in the light of Tatooine's largest moon, they twinkled by the thousands, brilliant pinpoints of light that seemed to go on forever, scrolling from horizon to horizon.

Shanda turned and glanced over her shoulder, as she heard the door open behind her; she smiled, as she saw Beru step through the door and start over toward the table where she sat.

"Are you still out here?" Beru asked; the cool evening air nipped at her, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she watched Shanda look back up at the sky above her. "It's freezing out here."

"I know," Shanda said, glancing over at Beru with a smile as she stepped up beside her. "I just can't stop looking at it," she said, turning her awestruck face back to the stars again. "There's just so many of them."

Beru smiled, as she watched Shanda look up at the heavens, and she turned her own eyes up the expansive sky above her.

"Yes, there are," she sighed, as she wrapped her arms a little tighter around herself as the cool evening wind gusted around them. "I've gotten so used to them, though," she said quietly, as Shanda turned her eyes back to her again, "that I never really realized that some people never get to see a sky like this."

Beru watched Shanda for a long moment; she smiled, as she watched the her look out toward the distant horizon. "How far does it go?" Shanda asked, looking back at Beru, a look of keen interest on her young face.

"How far does what go?" Beru asked, a puzzled, and somewhat amused, look on her face.

"The sand," Shanda asked, as she looked back out at the horizon again. "Does it go on forever?"

"Well," Beru said, as she gestured toward the ground in front of her, a sly smile on her lips. "It starts here, and goes off that way," she said, gesturing toward the horizon ahead of them. Shanda watched her, as she turned and pointed to the horizon behind them. "And it ends over there."

"Really?" Shanda asked, laughing and shaking her head with amazement. "The whole planet's like this?"

"Pretty much," Beru sighed, as she folded her arms around herself again and looked out toward the horizon with her. "Except for a very few exceptions."

"Are there people living out there?" Shanda asked, deeply curious.

"A few," Beru nodded, turning her attention back to Shanda again. "Mostly just sand people, though," she said. "Most of the settlers and moisture farmers try to stay reasonably close to the cities. It's safer."

"Sand people," Shanda said quietly, turning her eyes back out toward the open desert. "Master Obi-Wan told me something about them, just before he left. He said they're really dangerous."

"And he's right," Beru said, nodding her head firmly as Shanda looked back at her, listening intently. "You don't want to meet one of them. They're cruel and heartless, and extremely dangerous," she said, as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.

"You can ask Padmé about that when you meet her," Beru sighed, nodding her head. "She and Anakin know all about them, trust me."

"How?" Shanda asked, leaning closer to her; Beru laughed quietly, as she saw the look of intense curiosity on her face. Shanda was soaking up every word, like a vaporator on a humid day.

"Well," Beru said, looking back out at the open desert again, "It's a long story, but for tonight we'll just say that she's still got the scars to prove it."

"I can't wait to meet her," Shanda said, nodding her head slowly as she looked out at the endless expanse of sand that stretched before them. "Master Obi-Wan told me a little about her, while we were on our way here," she said. "He said she's training to be a Jedi, too."

"Yes, she is," Beru smiled, nodding her head slowly. "And she's got a fine teacher," she said, looking back at Shanda proudly. "Just like you do. You'll both do very well."

Shanda laughed, as she watched Beru shudder, hard, as another cool gust of wind whipped past them. "Okay, that's enough," she said, her teeth beginning to chatter lightly as she placed her hands on Shanda's shoulders. "You need to come inside, it's getting late," she said, as she watched Shanda hop down from the table and pull her blanket tight around her.

Shanda looked up at Beru, as they started back toward the house; she smiled, as she felt Beru's arm as she placed it tightly around her shoulders as she walked along beside her. "Besides," she said, smiling back at Shanda warmly as she reached down and opened the door, "I'm not going to have you getting sick your first night here."

"Master Obi-Wan would be _very _disappointed in me," Beru chuckled, as she followed Shanda into the house, and then closed the door tightly behind them.

* * *

Anakin closed the kitchen door behind him, as quietly as he could; he turned around, tossing his jacket onto the back of the chair that sat near the kitchen table. He stretched out his hand toward the light switch on the wall across the room, as he made his way quietly to the cupboard.

He blinked his eyes, as the lights came up in the kitchen; Obi-Wan used to chastise him, mercilessly, when he used the Force for such trivial things. He didn't do it now, often, but for some reason, he felt the need to do so tonight.

It had been a long day, indeed; he took a long, thoughtful breath, sighing deeply as he took down a glass and closed the cupboard door. He walked quietly to the cooler, and poured himself a large glass of juice; he turned around and, reaching into the Force once more, he spun the chair closest to him around, and took a seat at the kitchen table.

Anakin took a long, thirsty swig from his glass; he placed it on the table again in front of him and, resting his weight on his elbows, he ran his fingers slowly through his hair as the events of the day ran through his mind.

For the first time since he and Artoo had destroyed her in the angry skies over Mustafar, he truly missed the _Destiny; _public transportation was painfully slow, and he hadn't been home long, when Obi-Wan's signal had arrived. He had traveled back to the shop, and it had taken him all afternoon and most of the evening, with the shop's computers, to parse through the data that Obi-Wan had sent him. The _Destiny's _computer would have done it in a fraction of the time; but she was gone now, and he had managed, with some effort, to complete the analysis. At least, he thought to himself, he knew that his former master now had a good list of where to start looking for the Jedi that they so desperately needed.

Anakin sighed again, as his thoughts drifted to Obi-Wan, and the dark, terrible news that he had given him this evening; he had known that Vader was still alive, had sensed his presence through the Force that night on Deyer, before they had returned home. Yet he had hoped, even against the guidance of his own feelings, that he had been wrong, that it had only been a haunting memory from the terrible events of the past few days.

Yet he knew, now, that what he had feared was true; even worse, he now knew that his friend and mentor was a hunted man, and that Vader wanted him dead. He closed his eyes, as he tried to push the image of those cold, yellow eyes that he had seen that day on the _Invisible Hand _from his mind; in spite of what Obi-Wan and Yoda had told him, he still couldn't help but feel that he was, at least, _somehow _responsible for the terrible mixture of machine and man that now hunted his friend.

Anakin looked up, as he heard soft footsteps at the door behind him; he was so engrossed in his own thoughts, that he hadn't sensed her, and he smiled, as he saw Padmé's lovely face smiling back at him as she stepped into the kitchen.

He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, as Padmé walked up behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders. "Hey, baby," she said softly, as she kissed him softly on the cheek. "You just now getting in?"

"Yeah," Anakin sighed; he leaned back in the chair, placing his hands gently on her arms as she hugged him tightly. "It took a little longer than we thought it would to get Obi-Wan what he needed."

Anakin looked up and smiled, as she stood up slowly; he pushed his chair back from the table a bit, wrapping his arms tightly around her as she sat down in his lap and placed her arms tightly around his neck.

Padmé looked at him for a long moment, her own eyes shining brightly, as she gazed at his tired, troubled face; she could feel the worry, the pain, the uncertainty, as she stretched out her feelings toward him. He had been through so much, since all of this began, and her thoughts drifted back to that night on Deyer, when she had awakened to find him sleeping at her bedside.

"You're so tired, and you've done so much," she whispered softly, her eyes searching his as she ran her fingers gently through the thick, wavy hair at his neck. She smiled at him, and, snuggling her body as close to his as she could, she kissed him, warm and tenderly, as she reached out to him with all of the love in her heart.

Anakin felt the guilt and worry begin to drift slowly away, as he felt her heart speaking to his as her lips moved slowly over his own; he felt himself let go of the concerns that dogged him, as he heard the silent words of love and devotion that traveled from her heart to his. He opened his eyes, very slowly, gazing deeply into hers as their lips parted after a long, quiet moment.

"I know you're worried, Ani," Padmé said, her eyes shining brightly as she gazed lovingly down at him, brushing her fingertips lightly over his cheek. "But you've done all that you can, so much more than anyone should ever have to do," she said, shaking her head slowly, her long brown hair moving softly over her shoulders as she spoke.

"Everything's going to be okay, baby," she whispered, as she hugged him tightly, leaning forward and kissing him gently on the forehead. "I promise."

Anakin smiled, as he gazed deeply into her loving, beautiful eyes for a long moment. "What would I ever do without you?" he asked quietly, shaking his head slowly as he gazed up at her lovely face in the soft light.

"You'd be miserable, that's what," Padmé chuckled, leaning down and kissing him on the nose playfully. "And you'd be raising those two all by yourself," she said, laughing softly, as he hugged her tightly and buried his face in the thick, brown hair that hung over her shoulders.

"Speaking of those two," Anakin chuckled softly, his voice muffled as he pressed his lips softly to the indentation just below her neck, nudging the top of her soft, satin blouse aside with his nose as he did so, "I hope they're asleep."

"As a matter of fact, they are," Padmé laughed softly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, as she felt the soft, warm sensation of his lips on her skin. "Why?" she laughed, looking down at him as he turned his bright, playful eyes up to hers. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Oooh," Padmé cooed softly, as he moved his tender kisses slowly up from her chest to the nape of her neck. "I'd say you do," she laughed softly, biting her lower lip playfully as the wonderful sensation of his breath on her shoulder sent a wave of chills through her body. "And from what I can tell, I'd say it's the same thing I was thinking of," she laughed, as she hugged him a little tighter.

It seemed like an eternity since the two of them had been able to spend a quiet moment together like this; Padmé closed her eyes and pulled him as close to her as she could, as he moved his kisses slowly up from her neck to her cheek.

Anakin opened his eyes, as he felt her cup his face gently in her hands; he smiled, as she gazed deeply into his eyes. "I've missed this," Padmé sighed, smiling at him fondly as she brushed her fingers lightly over his cheek, as she brought her face close to his. "So much."

"I know," Anakin said, wrapping his arms tightly around her and nodding his head, as his eyes searched hers for a long moment. "Me too."

Anakin closed his eyes again, as Padmé wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pressed her lips gently to his; he took a long, deep breath, as the intoxicating mixture of her scent and touch overwhelmed his senses, as her soft, full lips moved slowly and passionately over his own.

He could feel her body trembling in his arms, as he moved his kisses slowly and gently along her cheek and down to the nape of her neck again; he took another long, deep breath, nuzzling close to her neck, as he recognized the sweet, subtle scent of the perfume that he had given her on their anniversary, only a few weeks before.

Anakin opened his eyes, looking up at her fondly as he reached up and brushed his fingers gently across her cheek; he looked at her for a long moment in the soft light, taking in every line, every curve of her beautiful, radiant face.

"I love you so much, Padmé," Anakin whispered, looking deeply into her eyes as they both gazed fondly at each other. "I wish you knew how much."

"I love you, Ani," Padmé whispered, smiling brightly as her eyes searched his for a long moment. "And I do," she said softly, nodding her head slowly. "I do."

Padmé laughed, as Anakin suddenly pushed the chair back and stood up quickly, sweeping her into his arms. "You're going to hurt yourself one of these days," she laughed quietly, as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Are you kidding?" he said, smiling slyly as she leaned close and kissed him gently on the cheek. "You're light as a feather," he chuckled, as he started toward the kitchen door. "And I've gotten good at carrying you, lately."

"You have indeed," Padmé laughed, as he stepped sideways through the doorway; she watched him with a smile, as he nodded his head toward the light switch and, with a sudden click, the lights in the kitchen fell dark.

"First lesson," Anakin chuckled, as he watched her turn her happy, twinkling eyes back up to his; she laughed out loud, as she watched his face suddenly grow deeply serious, as he did his best impression of Obi-Wan. "Don't _ever _do that."

"Remember," he said, his eyes twinkling as he turned his mock scowl toward her as he carried her into the living room. "A Jedi used the Force _only _for knowledge and defense, not to keep himself from walking across a room to pick up an apple," he said, as he started to laugh under his breath. "Or to turn off a light switch."

"Shhh," Padmé laughed, raising her finger to her lips as he grinned widely at her, chuckling to himself. "We're going to wake up the whole house."

"Something we definitely do _not _want to do," Anakin chuckled, as he leaned down and kissed her playfully. "At least not now," he said, his eyes twinkling brightly as he started toward the door to the hallway, carrying her securely in his arms. "Not tonight."

Padmé wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, laughing softly to herself, as the two of them made their way, as quietly as they could, down the long, dark hallway to their bedroom.

* * *

Something was different this morning.

Padmé yawned again, as quietly as she could; she blinked her eyes sleepily in the soft, early morning light, pulling Anakin a little closer to her as she looked out through the sheer curtains that covered the window across from their bed.

The morning sun was just beginning to top the horizon, and she snuggled herself down into the thick, soft pillow under her head and sighed contentedly as she watched the sun's first brilliant rays begin to dance through the glass and across the floor of their room. She watched the trees outside for a long, quiet moment, as their long multi-colored branches waved gently in the breeze.

Padmé smiled, as she felt Anakin's strong arm tighten across her stomach, as he lay next to her; she hugged him tighter and held him close as he slept, snuggled close to her side, his head resting on her shoulder. She reached over, very quietly, and brushed his long blond hair from his eyes so that she could see his face a little better.

He was sleeping, very peacefully, and she was thankful for that, very thankful indeed. It was the first time since this ordeal had begun that he had slept so peacefully, the way he usually did at her side, before all of this began. His heart had been troubled, and she had felt it all along, since that night when he and Obi-Wan had left for Coruscant, and she was grateful that he had finally been able to let go last night and rest. She smiled again, as she felt his familiar tremor in her heart, stronger than ever; it was calm again, peaceful and content. The worry, the heartache, the pain of everything that had happened; for a blissful moment, at least, it was all gone, and all she could feel, as her heart touched his, was an overwhelming sense of love and devotion, as he slept quietly at her side.

He hadn't been the only one to finally let go last night; maybe it was the fact that they were home, at last, or the knowledge that at least, for now, their children were safe and secure at their sides. Whatever the reason, from the moment that he had swept her into his arms, it had been a night that neither one of them would ever forget. She sighed again, as she focused on the wonderful, comforting sensation of his body against hers, as she ran her fingers softly along his shoulder.

Last night had been nothing short of magical. They had laughed, and cried, and loved more, last night, than on any night before it that she could remember. She wasn't really sure what had happened last night, but she didn't really need to know. Perhaps it was her recent brush with death, or his own, that had brought it on, but all she knew was that, as she had held his trembling body close to hers in the soft candlelight, something had happened to the both of them in that moment of pure, sweet love and passion that had changed them forever.

Padmé closed her eyes again, as her thoughts drifted to that unforgettable moment; she could still feel his arms around her, feel his ragged breath on her shoulder, feel the soft touch of his skin beneath her fingertips as she had clutched him tight against her. She sighed, deeply, and she felt her heart begin to pound softly in her chest as she remembered what had happened, as their eyes, hearts, and souls had met in the soft glow of the candles, and time had, somehow, stopped.

She would never forget the love, or the tears, that had filled Anakin's eyes, and her own, in that instant, or how tightly they had held each other, as those tears had begun to flow. Neither one of them knew why they had come, or what had caused them; yet neither of them had resisted, as they clung to each other in the soft light. They never said a word between them, yet their hearts had spoken volumes as, in those timeless moments, they had comforted, cared for, and reassured each other in a way that they never had before.

Padmé yawned again, a little deeper, as her body began to slowly rouse from the deep, contented sleep she had enjoyed last night, when they had finally fallen asleep in each other's arms. Even their little ones had slept better last night, and she and Anakin had only gotten up with each of them once during the night. She smiled, as she looked over at the crib beside their bed; maybe she and Anakin weren't the only ones who were relieved to finally be home, after all.

She looked back at her husband, as he moaned softly in his sleep; she rolled a little further onto her side, snuggling her body as close to his as she could as she cradled him securely in her arms, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, and then fell quiet again.

Padmé sighed deeply, as she watched him sleep contentedly in her arms. There, beneath the handsome face of the man who had become her loving husband, she suddenly saw the face of the boy that she had known so many years ago. She brushed his hair gently with her fingers, sweeping it gently to the side, the same way she remembered him doing it, when he had looked up at her from his seat on the counter of Watto's shop, almost fifteen years ago, as those memories began to flood her heart and mind.

Anakin had changed so much since that day so long ago, when she had first met him in that shop. He had grown, in those years that they were parted, into a handsome young man indeed, and she smiled as she remembered how her heart had begun to pound in her chest when she had first seen him step into that room that day, at Obi-Wan's side, on Coruscant.

Even her handmaiden had noticed it; Padmé smiled again, as she remembered how she had scolded Dorme when she had first mentioned it.

"_What are you talking about?" Padmé asked, turning in her chair at her dressing table to face Dorme as she worked at her bedside._

"_I don't mean to offend, my lady," Dorme said, looking back at Padmé with a smile as she turned down the bedclothes on Padmé's bed. "And it's nothing to be ashamed of," she said, laughing quietly to herself. "But it's quite obvious that you find him attractive."_

"_And who can blame you?" Dorme said, shaking her head as she looked back at Padmé's stunned face. "He is quite handsome, and it is quite natural, after all."_

"_I don't know what you're talking about," Padmé said, shaking her head in disbelief as she laid her brush on the dressing table and stood up from her chair. "You're imagining things."_

"_Oh, come now, my lady," Dorme said, looking back at Padmé as her mistress walked over to the bed beside her. "You mean to tell me that you don't find him attractive?"_

"_Whether I find him attractive or not is irrelevant," Padmé said, placing her hands on her hips defensively as she spoke. "Anakin Skywalker is a Jedi padawan, and a friend that I've known for many years, nothing more," she said, watching Dorme as she dropped her gaze and nodded her head slowly._

"_And I'll not have you, or anyone else, starting rumors of that sort, especially not with him," Padmé snapped, handing Dorme her robe as she hopped into bed and pulled the bedclothes up over her. "It could be dangerous to his career, and to mine," she said, as she watched Dorme place her robe on the chair beside her bed. "Do I make myself clear?"_

"_Very clear, my lady," Dorme said, looking at her apologetically. "I didn't mean to offend or upset you," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Forgive me."_

_Padmé's gaze softened, as she looked at her long-time friend and companion. "There's nothing to forgive, Dorme," she sighed with a smile, as she watched her handmaiden sit down quietly on the side of the bed beside her. "And yes, I must admit," Padmé said, as a confused smile crossed her face, "you're a bit more perceptive than I'd like you to be at times. But there's nothing that could be done about that," Padmé said, shaking her head slowly as she looked back at her friend. "Not even if I wanted to."_

"_We have too much to accomplish, and there's far too much at stake," Padmé sighed, as she leaned back against the pillow behind her as Dorme listened to her intently. "I have far, far too much to do to allow myself to get bogged down in affairs of the heart," she said, watching Dorme as she stood up and walked quietly toward the door to her room. "Even if it was a possibility."_

_Dorme's reply stunned her, somewhat, as she looked back at her and placed her hand on the light switch beside the door. "You've done a great deal for more people than you'll ever really know, my lady," Dorme said, smiling softly as she looked back at her. "Forgive me, if I hope that, someday, you might find some true happiness in your own life."_

"_I am happy," Padmé finally managed to say, as Dorme turned out the light and closed the door quietly behind her. She leaned back slowly against the pillows, as she looked over at the little droid that stood quietly in the corner of her room._

"_And don't you repeat a word of anything you've heard, do you understand me?" Padmé snapped, as she watched Artoo Deetoo nod obediently. Artoo whistled, very softly, as he saw the deep, thoughtful look that flowed across the young senator's face; she looked back toward the window, watching quietly, as the speeders continued to zip through Coruscant's busy skies outside._

"_I am happy," she said softly, pulling the bedclothes up around her and clutching them tightly, as that familiar ache began to throb deep in her heart. "I am."_

Padmé closed her eyes, as she allowed herself to remember that empty, lonely pain that had filled her heart for so long. It was something that she had forgotten, over the years, since that night on Naboo; she could still remember how she had wrestled with her own heart, as she had sat on that couch that night beside him, as Anakin's heartfelt words echoed through her heart and mind.

_Padmé swallowed hard; her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could hear the rushing sound that filled her ears as her pulse began to race as Anakin leaned close to her. She looked at him, in the soft, flickering firelight, and she could see the look of pain and anguish on his face as he spoke._

"_From the moment I met you, all those years ago," he said softly, his voice trembling as he spoke, "not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you."_

"_And now that I'm with you again," Anakin said, a look of deep pain and anguish on his face, "I'm in agony."_

_Padmé closed her eyes and swallowed again, hard, as she listened to his trembling voice. She opened her mouth, slightly, intending to stop him, to reason with him, to keep him from saying what she knew in her heart that he intended to say; yet something in her own stopped her, as she looked back up at him._

"_The closer I get to you, the worse it gets," Anakin said, as he slid a little closer to her on the couch. "The thought of not being with you..." he said, shaking his head slowly and pausing as he watched her fidget nervously on the couch beside him, "I can't breath."_

_Padmé closed her eyes, as his words cut her heart like a knife. "I'm haunted by the kiss you should never have given me," he said quietly. "My heart is beating, and hoping that kiss will not become a scar."_

"_You are in my very soul, tormenting me," he said, as Padmé turned her eyes up to his again; she looked into them, and she felt her heart begin to melt as his eyes searched hers, pleading with her._

"_What would you have me do?" Anakin asked, as his eyes searched hers for a long moment; she watched him, as he reached down and took her hand gently in his. "I will do anything you ask," he said, softly, shaking his head slowly as he lowered his gaze, submissively. "Anything at all."_

Padmé hugged him a little tighter, resting her cheek softly against his, as she remembered the pain and anguish that had filled his face, and her heart that night, as she had tried to reason with him, tried to convince him that they had to listen to reason, had to follow their heads and not their hearts. She remembered how that hollow, haunting pain had grown stronger as she had stood by that fireplace, fighting to keep herself from running after him, as he turned and walked slowly down that long hallway toward his room.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, as she pressed her lips softly to his cheek, kissing him tenderly, as her thoughts drifted back to her own room that night, as she lay in her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above her.

"_This is ridiculous," Padmé snorted disgustedly, as she flung the covers to the side and sat up on her bedside; she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing a lock of it behind her ear, as she stood up and folded her arms tightly across her chest._

"_How can you possibly be in love with him?" she asked, shaking her head slowly as she walked to the table near her bed and turned on the small lamp that rested there. "He's a Jedi, and it's just not possible," she said, as she started to pace the floor near her bed in the lamp's soft glow. "You're not thinking clearly, and you're letting all of this get to you."_

"_What am I doing?" Padmé suddenly exclaimed, as she shrugged her shoulders disgustedly and flopped down on the bedside again. "I'm a senator, for God's sake, and now I'm talking to myself," she said, shaking her head slowly as she cupped her face in her hands and sighed deeply. "I really am losing him."_

"_It," she exclaimed, looking up across the room as she suddenly realized what she had just said. "I'm losing it," she said, shaking her head slowly as she corrected herself. "I'm losing it," she said again. "Not him."_

_Padmé sat quietly for a long moment; she felt herself begin to tremble, as she suddenly realized the pang of terror that had stung her heart as those words had escaped her lips. "Why did that hurt so badly?" she asked softly, shaking her head slowly as she wrestled with the answer, the one that she already knew deep in her heart._

_She placed her hands on the bed beside her, squeezing the bedclothes tightly in her trembling fingers. "I'm losing him," she said, closing her eyes as she forced herself to say that phrase once again; she felt tears begin to sting her eyes, as she felt that same, familiar, empty pain prick her heart again. Yet this time, it was worse, far worse than ever before, as those three words echoed through her mind._

"_Oh, God," she whispered, as she felt a tear begin to trickle slowly down her cheek; for the first time in her life, she lowered her guard, let down her defenses, as she allowed herself to listen to what her heart was telling her._

_Dorme had been right. She wasn't happy, and she hadn't been, in a very long time, though she had tried to convince herself otherwise. Her heart was empty, and it had been for as long as she could remember, filled only with the responsibilities of a career that had, for the most part, consumed her, and everything that she used to be, everything she ever wanted for herself, long ago._

_Padmé cupped her face in her hands, as she started to sob quietly as she sat on her bedside. She opened her eyes, scanning the room around her with her tear-stained face; it was filled with all manner of valuable treasures, adorned with tapestries and paintings that were hundreds of years old, just as every other room that she had grown accustomed to staying in over the years. Yet, with all of its riches and splendor, it was empty and cold, as empty as her own heart._

"_I don't want to lose him," Padmé sobbed softly, as she cupped her face in her hands again. "Oh, Ani," she whispered, as she suddenly realized that she truly, deeply, loved him, as much as she knew that he loved her. "I'm so sorry, Ani," she said, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks with her hands as she stood up and walked slowly toward the table near the foot of her bed._

"_Please don't let it be too late," she whispered, shaking her head slowly, as she tossed her robe onto her shoulders and tied its sash quickly around her waist. She picked up the lantern and, taking a long, deep breath, she turned and walked quickly through the doorway of her room and down the hall, toward the room where Anakin, and her future she so desperately wanted, waited for her._

It hadn't been too late, and for that, she had said a quiet prayer of thankfulness almost every day of the past four years. She smiled again, as she looked at his peaceful, sleeping face as she cradled him in her arms; she had been right, that day so many years ago, aboard that ship, when she had found him sitting in the corner of the crew compartment, a sad, lost little boy, shivering in the cold.

"_Are you alright?" she asked, as she walked across the crew cabin toward him; she could see him shivering, and she picked up the blanket that lay on the table near her as she walked quickly to the corner where he sat and knelt in front of him._

"_I'm cold," Anakin said, as he turned his sad, thoughtful face up to her, watching her as she unfolded the blanket in her hands._

"_You come from a warm planet, Ani," Padmé said, a kind smile on her teenage face as she shook her head slowly. "A little too warm, for my tastes," she said, as she tucked the blanket around him securely. "Space is cold."_

"_I made something for you," Anakin said, his young face brightening as he reached under the blanket; Padmé watched him, smiling curiously, as he rummaged through his pocket and produced a small, sandy colored item and held it out to her._

"_So you'd remember me," he said, as she took the small medallion from him and looked at it with a smile. It was carved, quite ornately, with a thin leather lanyard through a small hole in one side._

"_I carved it from a jappor snippet," Anakin said, looking up at her with a smile as she looked back at him. "It'll bring you good fortune."_

"_It's beautiful," Padmé said, her face beaming brightly as she turned the smoothly polished trinket over in her hand. "But I don't need this to remember you by," she said, as she reached over and placed her hand gently on his shoulder._

"_Many things will change when we reach the capitol, Ani," Padmé said, her expression softening as she smiled back at him. "But my caring for you will never change."_

And it never had. No, that wasn't entirely true; it had changed, but in a way and magnitude that even she could never have anticipated all those years ago. Padmé slipped her hand, as quietly and gently as she could, underneath her pillow; it only took her a moment to find what she was looking for, and she pulled her hand out from under her pillow, as quietly as she could, snuggling close to Anakin as she raised her hand and looked at the item in her fingers, as it glistened in the soft morning light.

It had been with her ever since that day, and it had been under her pillow every night since the day he had asked her to marry him. It looked the same as it did the day he had given it to her, except that it was a little smoother, and its patina a little darker and richer, from all the times she had worn it around her neck and carried it in her pocket. Anakin had replaced the lanyard on it for her not long ago, replacing it with a new one that he had fashioned for her at work one afternoon when the old one had finally broken.

They had both been right, that afternoon aboard that ship. She closed her eyes and kissed him again, very softly, as she squeezed the medallion he had made for her tightly in her hand. She cared for him more now than ever, and it _had _brought her good fortune, just as he had promised her - and more love and happiness than she had ever dreamed was possible.

It was more a token of his love for her, than a good luck charm; yet, she had never parted with it, and she had no intention of doing so now. It was going to be with her, just like he was, every day as they prepared to face the challenge, and the danger, that lay before them.

Padmé sighed, and she squeezed her jappor snippet a little tighter, as she looked over at the table near the window; she could see Anakin's lightsabers lying there, the morning sunlight glinting brightly off their smoothly polished handles. He rarely left them out; Ryoo had always been fascinated by them, and Anakin had always felt it best to keep them put away. Yet now, with the uncertainty of Palpatine's betrayal still lingering fresh on their minds, he had kept them within easy reach the past few nights.

It all still seemed like a dream, yet she knew that, soon enough, if her training went well, that she would have to build one of her own. She looked down at the pillow, and she smiled as she saw her padawan braid lying among her long, brown tresses, near Anakin's cheek. She knew that she had a long, difficult road ahead of her, yet she no longer feared it. She knew, in her heart, that Anakin would be with her every step of the way, and she understood, now more than ever, how strongly the Force was with him.

She hugged him again, a little tighter, as her expression grew more thoughtful. She hadn't forgotten what Yoda had told her, that afternoon in their room on Polis Massa.

"_Dangerous, this path is, that we have chosen," Yoda said, his tone growing deeply serious. "Powerful Anakin is, but your help, he will need, to protect your young ones, and him, as you will need to," he said, watching as Padmé listened to him intently._

"_Able to sense Vader, Anakin is," Yoda continued, as he glanced back over at the bassinet. "Likely, it is, that able to sense him as well, Sidious' apprentice is."_

"_In grave danger, the both of you, and your younglings, will be," Yoda said, nodding his head as he looked into her deeply worried eyes. "Only as a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as your ally, will you be able to protect him, and your family, as you should."_

"_Protect Anakin?" Padmé asked, a look of complete disbelief on her face. "Anakin's an amazingly powerful Jedi, Master Yoda," she said, shaking her head slowly. "He protects me, and our children. How would I ever be able to protect him?"_

"_Hmmm," Yoda mused again, nodding his head slowly. "Difficult to see, the future can be," he said, a deeply serious expression on his face. "But protect him, and save him, someday you will," he said, looking at her awestruck face as she listened to him intently. "Foreseen it, I have."_

_Padmé listened, with a growing sense of awe and amazement, as Yoda looked down at his hands and sighed deeply. "Saved him once, from a terrible fate, you have already," Yoda said, turning his eyes back up to her. "Save him again, from another, you will."_

_Padmé took a long, troubled breath, as she sensed the deep urgency and foreboding in Yoda's voice; she sat quietly for a long moment, as she looked over at the bassinet in front of her._

"_It's funny," Padmé said, taking a long, halting breath as she gazed fondly at her two sleeping babies. "All the things that I thought mattered so much before Anakin and I were together just seem so insignificant now," she said, as Yoda listened quietly as she spoke._

"_I don't care what I have to do, or how long it takes, Master Yoda," Padmé said softly, as she turned her glistening, determined eyes back toward him again. "I'll do whatever I have to to protect him, and our children."_

Padmé looked down at Anakin again, as Yoda's words, and her own, echoed through her mind; she watched him quietly for a long time, listening to his soft, rhythmic breathing as he slept by her side. She understood, now, just how much her life, and his, had changed since this ordeal had begun. She didn't know what Yoda had spoken of, or what the future held for them, but she _was _sure of one thing. They would face their future, and the joys and the dangers that it held, the same way they had faced every challenge before - together, and hand in hand.

"Sleep well, Ani," she whispered softly, her eyes shining brightly as she brushed her fingers lightly through his hair. "I love you so much."

Padmé closed her eyes and laid her head on the pillow beside him; she lay there for a long time, her arms wrapped tightly around him, as she listened to the sound of the soft breeze rustling through the trees outside. She drifted back to sleep, finally, her mind and heart filled with warm memories of the past, and dreams of the future that awaited them.

* * *

Obi-Wan tossed his cloak up over his shoulders, as the _Falcon's _main entry ramp dropped to the hangar floor with a solid _thump. _He turned around, looking back over his shoulder at Bail; he couldn't help but notice the curious smile on his face as he walked up behind him.

"It's hot out there, already, even at this hour of the morning," Bail said, glancing over at Breha and Andar as they both walked over to join them. "You sure you want to wear that heavy cloak out there in this desert heat?"

"Well, I thought it might be best if I tried to hide this," Obi-Wan said, smiling at Bail slyly as he held open his robe and gestured toward the light saber that hung on his belt. "You know, seeing as how I'm a wanted man these days and all."

"And I'm damn sure not going anywhere without it," he said, glancing back over at Bail and the others as he quickly pulled his cloak around him, concealing his weapon at his side.

"Prudent measure, if ever I've seen one," Andar chuckled, as he secured his small blaster pistol at his stout waist. "Nasty place, Mos Eisley," he said, raising his bushy eyebrows as he looked back at his companions. "Crawling with bounty hunters, most of the time."

"Even the Hutts wouldn't bet on your odds right now, my friend," Andar said, his countenance growing a bit more concerned as he watched Obi-Wan toss his hood over his head. "If that accursed Vader chap has put your name on the hunt list around these parts, as you say, then it won't hurt to take every precaution we can."

"Hopefully, we won't be here long enough to draw any suspicion," Bail said, as he placed his hand reassuringly on Breha's shoulder; he could see the worry and apprehension on her face, as she looked out at the sandy, brown landscape, and the throngs of people around the open air hangar where Bail had set the _Millenium Falcon _down.

"You say your friend should be waiting on us?" Obi-Wan asked, as he followed the others down the ramp out into Tatooine's bright sunlight; he narrowed his eyes, pulling his hood a bit farther down over them, as the brilliant light of the planet's two suns reflected of the light, sandy colored buildings and terrain around them.

"Absolutely," Andar said, reaching under his cloak and popping a pair of odd-looking sunglasses over his eyes. "There are two things about Eleazar I can always count on," he said, looking back over his shoulder with a chuckle at his companions. "The first is that he'll always be on time," Andar said, "and the other is that he'll never pay full price. Ever."

"But," Andar said with a laugh, as he patted Bail securely on his shoulder as they started across the sandy hangar toward the exit to the spaceport's bustling central plaza, "that shouldn't be a problem for us, knowing that going into the bargain."

"We'll just raise our asking price and work down from there," he laughed, as they made their way through the narrow portal and out into the busy, bustling street.

It was a maze of speeders, banthas, and other transports; he had never ventured into the city, when he had been here with his master Qui-Gon so many years ago. The image of Tatooine that he had grown accustomed to was the simple, sparsely populated world of the desert moisture farmer. This, he though to himself, as he watched literally thousands of people, of all races, colors, and types mill about, was something completely different.

Fitting, he though to himself, that he now found himself in unfamiliar surroundings, at the most vulnerable moment of his life.

"Well," he sighed, as he watched two particularly shifty characters eye him carefully as they made their way along the promenade, "at least I know my luck is consistent these days, anyway."

Obi-Wan pulled his cloak a little tighter around him, following close behind the others, as they made their way through the throngs of people toward the tavern at the far end of the plaza.

* * *

Padmé opened her eyes sleepily, looking back toward the crib beside their bed, as Leia's soft cry suddenly pulled her from her dreams. She looked back quickly at Anakin, shaking her head slowly as she felt him raise his head and look up at her drowsily.

"Oh, no you don't," she said sleepily, looking at him fondly as she placed her hands on his shoulders as he started to raise up on his elbows; he laughed, very sleepily, as she tugged him back down onto the bed and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"What?" Anakin asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily as she kissed him gently on the forehead. "You got up with Luke last time," he said, looking up at her sleepy, smiling face. "It's my turn this time."

"You're very sweet," Padmé said with a yawn, as she hugged him tightly. "But the only thing you're going to do is go back to sleep."

"But..." Anakin yawned; he stopped, as she pressed her finger gently to his lips and smiled warmly at him.

"Shhhh," she shushed softly, as she pushed him gently over onto the pillow beside her; she wrapped her arms around him securely, as she kissed him tenderly for a long moment. "Go back to sleep, baby," she whispered, softly and lovingly, as she gazed into his sleepy, blue eyes as their lips parted. "You need to rest, and I can take care of her for a while."

Anakin smiled, very sleepily, as he watched her climb out of bed and stretch for a moment; she walked quietly to the crib and picked up Leia, and, cradling her securely in her arms, she came and climbed back into bed beside him.

"You warm enough?" he asked, as he placed her pillow behind her as she snuggled down into bed beside him, pulling the thick, soft bedclothes up over her as far as he could.

"Very much so, thank you," Padmé said, as she snuggled close beside him; Anakin started to laugh, quite hard, as she grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, as Leia suddenly grabbed a handful of her thick, brown hair and tugged... hard.

"Owww! Ow! Ow!" Padmé laughed softly, as she reached up and gently took hold of her crying daughter's tiny hand. "Let go of mommy's hair, baby," she laughed, as she struggled to free herself from her daughter's iron grip. "I'm going just as fast as I can, I promise!"

"Oh, stop laughing," Padmé chuckled, as she finally managed to pry Leia's tiny fingers loose. "You're supposed to be asleep, anyway," she scolded, playfully, as she swept her hair back over her shoulder, safely out of her daughter's reach. She laughed again, and then reached over and slapped Anakin playfully as he rolled onto his back and laughed - sleepily, but heartily, nonetheless.

"I'm sorry," Anakin chuckled, as he rolled back over onto his side and snuggled close beside her again, pulling the covers back up over her as snugly as he could. He watched quietly, with the same amazement and wonder that he felt each time, as he watched her place Leia close to her breast as she held her in her arms. He smiled, sleepily, as his daughter's cries suddenly fell silent, as her mother looked down at her lovingly as she cradled her in her arms.

"Goodness, somebody was hungry," Padmé laughed softly, as she listened to her daughter's soft grunts as she nursed hungrily.

"And you thought Luke was the one who was gonna eat like me," Anakin chuckled, closing his eyes as he slipped his arm around her waist and snuggled close beside her.

"I think they both do," she laughed softly, looking back at him fondly as she placed her arm around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.

Anakin looked up at her, sleepily, as he heard her suddenly sigh, very deeply. "What is it?" he asked quietly, looking up at her smiling face as she rubbed his shoulder gently.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am," she said softly, her eyes shining brightly, as she brushed her hand gently over his hair. Anakin watched her, as she looked over at the crib beside their bed thoughtfully for a long moment.

"Two beautiful, wonderful children," she said, as she looked back at Anakin, "and the most wonderful, loving husband in the galaxy," she said softly, as she placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it tightly. "What more could I have ever hoped for?"

Anakin smiled at her sleepily, as he watched her look back at Leia fondly, as she snuggled back into the thick, soft pillow behind her. He closed his eyes, and stretched out to her with his feelings, as he felt the soft, reassuring touch of her hand on his shoulder.

Padmé smiled, looking back at him fondly as she heard his heart speak to hers, more clearly than ever, as clearly as if he had spoken the words out loud.

_I love you, Padmé. So, so much._

"I love you too, Ani," she said softly, her face beaming brightly as she gently caressed his cheek. "Go back to sleep, baby," she whispered, as she watched him sigh deeply and snuggle closer to her. "You need your rest," she said, as she stroked his hair gently. "We've got a lot to do today."

She sat quietly for a long moment, watching him; she stretched out toward him with her feelings, and she smiled as she felt herself touch the living Force that flowed through him.

Yoda had been right; it was getting easier for her, and she could feel the Force now, more strongly than she ever had. She wasn't afraid any longer; she had no reason to be. In spite of all the evil that Palpatine had done, all of the pain and death that he had caused, she knew that, somehow, some way, the Force would find a way to undo the evil that he had wrought.

Her old life was nothing but a memory, now. She knew her place now, even though she had known where she truly belonged, since that night four years ago, when she and Anakin had given their hearts and lives to one another. Her place was here, at his side, to love him, support him, and yes, to protect him, whenever that day should come. The life that they shared, no matter where it took them, or their children, would be rich and filled with love, of that much she was sure.

Padmé reached up, taking her padawan braid into her hand and looking at it thoughtfully for a long moment. All of the doubt that she had felt in her heart before was gone; with Anakin's guidance, and his love, she knew now in her heart that she was finally ready to take her first steps on this new path that awaited her.

She looked back at him and sighed deeply, as she felt him drift slowly back to sleep beside her. She let her padawan braid drop gently to her shoulder, as she reached down and stroked his hair softly as she gazed at him fondly.

"Sleep well, my love," she whispered, leaning back against her pillow and looking out of the window of their room, as the morning sun danced through the gently swaying trees outside, her daughter in one arm, and her husband in the other.

"I'm here," she whispered, looking over at Luke in the crib beside her as she held them all close to her body, and her heart. "And I always will be," she said softly. "I promise."

* * *

"Eleazar!" Andar shouted with a hearty laugh, as they approached the small group of tables just outside one of the larger cantinas. "What in the world are you doing out here, at this hour of the morning? I thought you'd already have a head start on your first three pints of the day by now!"

Obi-Wan watched, as the tall, dark-skinned man at the table turned toward them and then, smiling widely, threw his arms around Andar and hugged him tightly. "Well, I would be, old friend," he laughed, as he slapped Andar soundly on his stout shoulder, "but I brought the boy with me today," he said, gesturing over his shoulder to the young, curly-haired lad who sat at the table beside him. "Didn't think that the cantina would be the proper place for one as young as he, eh?" Eleazar chuckled, as he motioned for the young boy to join them.

"Well, bless me, he's grown at least half a meter since I saw him last!" Andar chuckled, watching the lad as he came and stood near his father. "And how are you these days, my boy?" he asked, leaning forward and extending his hand to him.

"Well, mister Gandh," the lad replied, smiling politely at Andar as he shook his hand and nodded his head. "Thank you for asking."

"As polite as ever," Andar laughed, as he released the lad's hand, and patted Eleazar soundly on the shoulder. "That'd be his mother's doing, if I were to wager a guess, hmm?"

"Most definitely," Eleazar chuckled, looking back at his son proudly. "She's working hard to counter _my _influence on him, I believe."

"Where are my manners?" Andar said, turning around and looking back at Obi-Wan, Bail and Breha, motioning for them to approach. "Eleazar, my friend, these are the folks I was telling you about just yesterday," he said, as he placed his hand on Bail's shoulder. "I'd like for you to meet senator Bail Organa, and his lovely bride Breha," he said, watching with a smile as Bail extended his hand to the tall, dark skinned man.

"A pleasure," Eleazar said, nodding his head as he shook Bail's hand firmly. "I'm Eleazar. Eleazar Calrissian," he said, as he looked down at the young boy beside him. "And this is my son," he said, looking back at Bail proudly. "Lando."

"A pleasure to meet you both," Bail said, nodding as he watched them both nod politely at Breha, as she returned their polite smiles.

"And this gentleman here," Andar said, as he watched Eleazar and Lando eye Obi-Wan curiously, "would be their good friend, mister..." he paused, looking back at Obi-Wan and raising his eyebrow, as he watched the Jedi Knight approach them and extend his hand to them.

"Kenobi," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head politely as he took Eleazar's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Ben Kenobi."

"Ben, here, looks after the good senator when they're out on adventures such as this," Andar said, nodding his head as he and Obi-Wan exchanged a quick glance. "Something of a high priced body guard, you might say, eh?" Andar laughed, as he watched Obi-Wan and Lando exchange pleasant smiles.

"Understandable, indeed," Eleazar said, as he picked up his jacket from the back of his chair and flung it over his shoulder. "Mos Eisley isn't exactly accustomed to having many senators, such as yourself, milling about," he said, looking back at Bail with a curious smile. "It's a fair bet that more than one or two people know you're here."

"My thoughts exactly," Andar said, nodding his head as he patted Bail soundly on the shoulder. "Which is one more reason for us to get on with the business at hand, eh? The senator's a busy man, and needs to get back about his business," he said, as he placed one hand on Eleazar's shoulder, and one on Bail's as he turned them around and nudged them back down the dusty, sandy street toward the hangar. "What say we go and have a gander at the good senator's ship?"

"Indeed," Eleazar said, nodding his head as he reached down and placed his hand on young Lando's shoulder as they began to make their way along the promenade toward the hangar. "Andar tells me it's quite a ship."

"I've been quite pleased with it," Bail said, nodding his head slowly, as he glanced back over his shoulder toward Obi-Wan, as his Jedi friend followed closely behind him. "It's gotten me out of several tight spots in recent days."

"You can say that again," Obi-Wan sighed; he took a long deep breath, pulling his cloak tighter around him, as they made their way through the crowded streets toward the hangar.

* * *

He watched the little entourage, from his place in the shadows, just inside the cantina's doorway. He lifted the small set of long-range glasses to his eyes, spinning the dial quickly with his gloved finger, as he brought them into focus.

"Well, well," he said, as he reached up and scratched his scruffy, bearded chin thoughtfully. "Senator Organa. What an interesting surprise."

"Strange to see you here, on Tatooine," he said gruffly, as he shifted the focus of his glasses quickly to the dark, cloaked figure that followed along behind him.

"And who might we have here?" he said, as he watched the hooded, cloaked man turn his face toward him as he scanned the busy street with his eyes. He reached into his pocket, and produced a small display, holding it tightly in his gloved hand.

"Bingo," he said, his dark, green eyes flashing brightly in the dim light, as he looked at Obi-Wan's image on the tiny display. "Just the man I'm looking for."

* * *

"Wow!" Lando exclaimed, as his eyes caught sight of the sleek, round Corellian ship that sat a few dozen meters from them, glistening brightly in the early morning sun. "Is that it?" he exclaimed excitedly, turning and looking back at the others, his eyes wide with amazement as they stepped through the narrow stone archway that led to the hangar.

"Well," Eleazar said, a tone of keen surprise and awe in his voice as he stopped in his tracks; he placed his hands on his waist, watching young Lando as he ran excitedly toward the ship in front of them. "That _is _impressive."

"Told you, didn't I, Eleazar?" Andar said, a great deal of excitement in his merry voice as he patted his friend's shoulder soundly and came and stood next to him. "A remarkable ship," he said, retrieving his odd-shaped sunglasses from his pocket and placing them on his round face as he looked up at the _Millenium Falcon _along with him. "Should be just what you're looking for."

She _was _impressive; there was no denying that. Her brilliant, platinum silver hull glistened brightly in the early morning sunlight, and Bail looked up at her, narrowing his eyes in the glare of the sunlight that reflected off her hull as he, Breha, and Obi-Wan followed Andar and Eleazar slowly across the open hangar toward the ship.

"Does she have a name?" young Lando asked excitedly, as he looked up at the ship with a distinct sense of awe and wonder.

"She does indeed," Bail said, looking at the boy with a smile as they came and stood near the ship. "The _Millenium Falcon."_

"Fitting name, for a ship as sleek as this," Eleazar said, nodding his head slowly as he walked beneath the _Falcon's_ decks; he raised his hand, letting it glide along the smooth outer surface of the ship's hull, as he walked slowly past the landing gear and toward the back of the ship, examining it closely.

"Looks like she's seen a little action in the last few days, too," Eleazar said, as he stopped just short of the main engine, surveying the dark, carbon-colored plasma burns on the deck plates just over his head. "Run into a little trouble, did you?" he asked, raising his eyebrow curiously as he looked back over his shoulder at Bail.

"You could say that," Bail said, smiling slyly as he nodded his head slowly, watching the elder Calrissian as he examined the plating closely. "Let's just say that, umm, certain individuals tried to delay our departure from Coruscant, the last time we left," he said, as he folded his arms thoughtfully across his chest. "And we'll just leave it at that, shall we?"

"Certain individuals, hmmm?" Eleazar mused, raising his eyebrow thoughtfully as he scrubbed the outer edge of the burned plate with his thumb; Obi-Wan watched him, folding his arms across his chest, a stern, serious countenance on his face, as Eleazar lifted his thumb to his nose, sniffing it carefully as he examined the residue on his fingertips.

"Class four blaster, high-powered model, very efficient," Eleazar said, matter-of-factly, as he turned and looked back at Bail and the others, a sly smile on his face. "Whoever those individuals were," he said, shaking his head slowly as he glanced over at Obi-Wan thoughtfully, "they were well armed."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows lifted, as he and Bail exchanged bewildered glances; whoever this fellow was, one thing was certain; he knew his weapons.

"Ah, well, none of my business, really," Eleazar said, a polite smile spreading across his thin, dark-skinned face as he wiped his hand on the leg of his trousers. "After all, whatever brings you here, it's none of my business. What matters is," he said, looking up at Bail as they walked toward the nose of the ship, "she looks like she took the beating pretty well."

"Let's take a look at her hold, shall we?" Eleazar said, smiling as he patted Bail's shoulder soundly several times. "If her hold's big enough, and the price is right, she might be just what I'm looking for, after all."

Obi-Wan stopped, just short of the nose of the ship, watching as Bail reached up and pressed the control panel just above his head; the ramp dropped quickly to the sandy ground, sending a small cloud of dust swirling around their feet. He watched, his arms folded tight across his chest, as Bail and Breha followed Eleazar up into the ship.

"So what, exactly, does this friend of yours do for a living, Andar?" Obi-Wan asked, turning a curious, somewhat concerned expression back toward his stout, silver-haired companion as he came and stood beside him. "He seems to know an awful lot about weapons."

"It pays to, in his line of work, my friend," Andar said, nodding his head slowly as he watched young Lando run up the ramp excitedly. "But not to worry," Andar chuckled, slapping Obi-Wan soundly on the back as he started toward the loading ramp himself. "Everything's going to be just fine. You'll see."

"I've heard that one before," Obi-Wan sighed; he stood quietly for a moment, watching Andar thoughtfully as he walked quickly toward the loading ramp for a long moment.

He wasn't sure what it was that unnerved him; it wasn't Andar, that much he knew. He had probed their stout new friend's emotions several times since they had met him, and he hadn't sensed the slightest indication that Andar was anything other than completely, genuinely interested in helping them, and the children. Eleazar was a bit of a conundrum, but, like Andar, he hadn't sensed the slightest hint of malice or deception on his part. Whatever it was, it was elusive, and that was one thing, at this particular time in their lives, that he found very uncomfortable.

He looked down at the ground, watching as he kicked the toe of his boot through the loose, course sand; he watched, as the cloud of fine dust swirled around them, coating his boots with yet another layer of fine, tan-colored dust.

"I'm beginning to understand why you hate sand so much, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed quietly, and then, quite slowly, he started along behind Andar toward the _Falcon's _loading ramp.

* * *

Padmé paused, as she saw Anakin's reflection in the mirror as he came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders; she smiled up at him, albeit a little sleepily, as he watched her fasten her old flight belt securely around her waist.

"You about ready?" he asked, as he squeezed her shoulders gently. He watched her, as she tugged the bottom of her tunic down a little, and then smoothed it out with her hands as she adjusted her belt a little lower on her hips.

"I think so," she said, taking a long, nervous breath and sighing deeply as she looked at herself in the mirror. "As ready as I'm ever going to be, anyway," she sighed, as she tossed her neatly braided ponytail over her shoulder.

Anakin smiled, as he looked at her in the mirror; it had been a long time indeed, since he had seen her in her old pilot's uniform. She had only worn it once, in the last four years, when they had gone to visit Owen and Beru on Tatooine. He had never realized, until now, how much it looked like his own Jedi attire.

"It's been a long time since you wore this," he said, as she reached up and unfastened the top button of her tunic, just below her neck, as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"There," Padmé said, smiling at herself as she took a deep breath and pulled the neck of her tunic open a bit. "That's a lot better," she sighed, as she felt him squeeze her shoulders gently. "What do you think?" she asked, as she turned to face him.

"You look great," Anakin grinned, nodding his head approvingly. "It still fits you really good."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Padmé laughed softly, as she looked up at him, "but didn't we just have this conversation a few days ago?"

"As a matter of fact, I think we did," Anakin chuckled, nodding his head slowly as he raised his eyebrow and grinned back at her. "Only I think it was the other way around," he said; Padmé laughed again, as she watched him trace his hands in a circular motion between them.

"So," she sighed, holding her arms out to her side and looking up at him. "Do I look like I'm ready for my first lesson?"

Anakin looked at her for a long moment, as she turned around slowly in front of him so that he could see her better. They had both rummaged through her closet last night, for quite a while, trying to find some suitable clothes for this morning's practice. Padmé fully intended to make her own Jedi attire, but, with time being short, and the children taking up most of her spare time at the moment, they had decided on her old flight suit for her training clothes. The dark brown pants, boots, and tunic fit her well, giving her enough room to move freely without getting in the way, and a quick trip to the workbench in the hangar out back had been all Anakin needed to equip her belt with the required hardware for a light saber. Anakin smiled, as he folded his arms across his chest and looked at her approvingly; all things considered, and given their limited choices - they had done a remarkably good job.

"You look great," Anakin said, as he watched her grin up at him brightly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you look just like..." he paused, his smile widening as his eyes sparkled mischievously at her. "A Jedi."

"Well," Padmé sighed, laughing softly as she spoke, "Looking like a Jedi is one thing," she said, looking down at her belt and adjusting it one last time. "Being one," she said, clenching her teeth and looking up at him, a little nervously, "is another matter entirely."

"You're going to do fine," Anakin said, nodding his head approvingly at her. "Don't worry."

He smiled, as he saw her suddenly close her eyes and lift her hand to her mouth. "Still a little sleepy, huh?" he asked, watching her as she yawned, quite deeply, and then opened her eyes and looked back up at him with a sheepish grin. He reached out and, taking her gently by the hand, pulled her close to him.

"A little," she yawned, closing her eyes again as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I think I could have slept the day away, today," she sighed, as she squeezed him tightly in return. "I think my body's still trying to play catch up."

"Mine, too," he said, as he leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Maybe we can catch a little nap together later on today," he said softly. "Whatdya think?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Padmé said, looking up at him with a sleepy grin as he brushed his fingers lightly over her cheek.

"So," Anakin sighed, as she stood up straight and yawned again. "Sola's watching the babies," he said, as he glanced over and looked at the empty crib next to their bed. "You ready to get started?"

"Yes, I am," Padmé said, watching him as he walked over to the small table that stood near the window; she took a deep, apprehensive breath, as she watched him pick up the two lightsabers that lay there, and then walk back across the room toward her as he turned them over thoughtfully in his hands.

"Did you adjust those things?" Padmé asked, looking up at him with a sheepish grin as he placed one of the sabers in the holster at his side. "I don't want to accidentally cut my own arm or leg off," she said, shaking her head slowly as she watched him grin back at her. "Or yours."

"Don't worry," Anakin laughed, as he placed his other saber into her outstretched hand, and then closed her fingers around it; he smiled, squeezing her hands tightly as he saw her look at it nervously. "I put the low power cells in both of them while you were taking a shower. The worst you can do is give yourself a good sting."

"Good," she laughed, as she looked at his weapon and turned it over slowly in her hand; Anakin smiled, as he saw the deep, thoughtfully look that spread slowly across her face as she looked at the weapon quietly for a long moment.

"What is it?" he asked, finally, after a long moment.

"You know," Padmé said quietly, looking at the lightsaber in her hand, "it's seemed like a dream, since all of this began," she said, shaking her head slowly as she spoke. "But it's really happening, isn't it, Ani?" she asked, looking up at her husband curiously. "I'm really doing this, aren't I?"

Anakin smiled at her, very proudly, as he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly for a long moment. "Yes, you are," Anakin said softly, as their eyes met for a moment as their lips parted; they looked at each other, quietly, as they both realized that they were taking their first steps together on this new, uncharted path that the Force had laid before them. He smiled again, even brighter, as he watched her place his light saber securely on the belt at her waist.

"So, my lovely young padawan," Anakin said finally, as she turned her eyes back up to him again. "Are you ready to learn how to use that thing?"

"Yes," Padmé nodded, as she took another long, deep breath. "Yes, I am."

She paused for a moment; Anakin looked down, watching her as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly.

"Lead the way, Master," she said quietly, as she looked up at him fondly. "I'm ready."

* * *

"So," Bail said, watching Eleazar as he closed the cargo hold door and secured it, "What do you think?"

"I think we have a deal, Senator," Eleazar said, turning back and extending his hand to Bail with a smile. "If we're agreeable on the price, that is?" he said, raising his eyebrow and looking at Bail curiously as the tall, dark-haired senator looked at his outstretched hand.

"It's a little less than I was hoping to get for her," Bail sighed, as he glanced around the cabin thoughtfully. "But," he said, as he reached out and took Eleazar's hand, squeezing it tightly, "I suppose it's good enough."

"Yahoo!" young Lando shouted, as he turned and bolted toward the cockpit excitedly. "We've got ourselves a ship!" he said, and the other's watched him as he bounced happily into the pilot's seat and wrapped his small hands tightly around the controls.

"Careful up there," Eleazar called with a laugh, as he watched his son begin to explore the controls on the ship's console with eager anticipation. "Let's not be touching anything," he said, "at least not until we've given the good Senator his money."

"Speaking of which," Eleazar said, turning his attention back to Bail as he released his hand, "we can handle the transfer, from my account to yours, or I can fetch the credits and bring them here straight away," he said. "Whichever suits you."

"I think I'd rather avoid any large transfers, at the moment," Bail said, shaking his head slowly as he and Eleazar exchanged a knowing glance. "Would it be to much trouble if we handled it palm to palm?"

"None at all," Eleazar said, shaking his head slowly. "If we can talk old Andar, here, into giving me a quick ride back to my residence in his speeder," he said, as he slapped his round, burly friend soundly on the back, "I can be back here to seal the deal in an hour."

"Not a problem," Andar said, nodding his head firmly as he smiled broadly at them. "We can be off now, if you're ready."

"That works well for us, too," Bail said, nodding his head as he looked back at Obi-Wan. "We're going to need about an hour to secure transport for myself and Breha back to Coruscant," he said, turning his attention back toward Andar and Eleazar again. "That should give us just enough time to take care of that, and get our things secured out of the cabin."

"Sounds like we've got a plan, then," Andar said, slapping his hands together and rubbing them excitedly. "I'll get Eleazar, here, back to his place to round up the credits for you, and you and Ben can run down to the main spaceport at the edge of the city and purchase your passage home," he said. "We'll all meet back here in one hour," he said, looking at the little group around him with a bright smile. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head firmly as he folded his arms tightly across his chest.

"Dad," Lando called, as he turned around and hopped up onto his knees in the pilot's chair, looking back at them as they stood in the cabin behind him, "Is it okay if I stay here on the ship, while you and Mister Gandh go back to the house?"

"I can stay here with him," Breha chimed in, as she watched Eleazar shake his head and start to speak. "I'd rather do that, than head down to the spaceport, anyway," she said, smiling politely as she looked up at her husband. "The air out there is a little too hot and arid, for my tastes."

"Are you sure you won't mind?" Eleazar asked, looking back at her with a wary smile. "He can be a handful, sometimes."

"Oh, he's nothing I haven't encountered in the last few days, anyway," Breha laughed, shaking her head as she took Bail's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm sure we'll get along fabulously," she said, looking back at Lando's smiling face as he looked back at them.

"Alright, then," Eleazar said, nodding his head as he turned his attention back to his son. "But you mind what the good Senator's wife tells you, understand?"

"Yes, sir," Lando exclaimed, and they watched him, chuckling quietly to themselves, as he flopped back down into the pilot's chair and took hold of the controls again.

"I don't think he'll give you any trouble, anyway," Obi-Wan chuckled, tossing his hood back over his head and following Andar and Eleazar toward the ramp, as he looked at Breha with a smile. "Not as long as you leave him in that pilot's chair."

"Just don't let him power up the engines," Bail chuckled; he squeezed her hand tightly, as he leaned down and kissed her gently. "We'll be back soon," he said, smiling at her warmly as he spoke. "And then we're going home."

"Alright," Breha said; she squeezed his hand tightly, as she smiled up at him. "Be careful, and hurry back."

"We will," Bail said, as he slowly let go of her hand. He looked back at her for another moment, and then Breha watched as he turned and walked quickly down the ramp behind the others. She walked to the edge of the ramp, and, resting her hand against the support pillar near it, she watched them for as long as she could, as they walked quickly across the sandy, dusty hangar, and then disappeared out into the street beyond it.

Breha sighed, and, reaching over and pressing the control switch near her, she watched as the ramp closed slowly beneath her.

She cried out, startled, as she suddenly felt the ship shudder as the inertial dampers suddenly kicked on, and then shut off again.

"Hey!" she called, turning and walking quickly toward the cockpit, as she heard Lando begin to laugh. "Don't be pressing any buttons or switches up there, do you hear me?"

* * *

"Good morning, Master Ani," Threepio exclaimed merrily, as he watched Anakin and Padmé step out of the kitchen door into the garden. "And to you too, Mistress Padmé."

"G'morning, Threepio," Padmé said, turning her attention to their mechanical friend as Anakin closed the door quietly behind them with his free hand. "You're up early this morning," she said, watching him as he placed the box in his metal hands on the garden bench and shuffled up next to her.

"Of course," Threepio exclaimed excitedly, as he watched Anakin walk over slowly toward them, carefully balancing several items in his hands as he walked. "Master Ani," he said, turning his attention to Anakin, "Everything's in order, just as you requested," he said, turning and gesturing toward the meadow below them.

"Thanks, Threepio," Anakin replied, nodding his head as he stepped up to Padmé's side. "I knew I could count on you, just like always."

Padmé looked over at Anakin, extending her hand to him as he held his own out to her. "Here," he said, as he offered her one of the large, round muffins he had brought with him from the kitchen. "Your mom made these last night," he said, as she took one of them from him.

"Never practice on an empty stomach," he said, his eyes twinkling as he took a huge bite from the muffin in his hand as she laughed at him. "That's rule number two," he said, his voice muffled as he chewed. "And the most important of all."

"I should have known that the most important rule would involve food," she laughed, as she took a sip from her cup and nudged him playfully with her hip.

"Threepio," Anakin said, as he swallowed and took a sip from his own cup, "Sola's watching the twins for us this morning. I told her to come tell you if she needs anything, so let us know if she needs us, okay?"

Padmé look a bite of her own muffin, as she watched their tall, metal friend nod obediently. Anakin was right, she thought to herself, as she looked down at the big, round muffin in her hand with a smile; maybe it was the cool, crisp morning air, or the excitement of what she was about to undertake, but these were exceptionally good.

"Of course, Master Ani," Threepio said, standing up proudly as he looked back at them. "Don't worry about a thing."

"I never do, Threepio," Anakin said with a grin, as he and Padmé started toward the garden gate. "Not when you're in charge, anyway."

The tall, silver droid watched them quietly for a moment, as Anakin and Padmé walked through the garden toward the gate that led to the meadow below them.

"Good luck, Mistress Padmé," Threepio chimed after them, as he watched Anakin reach down and open the garden gate.

"Thanks, Threepio," Padmé said, turning and looking back at him over her shoulder as she stepped through the gate.

Threepio watched them, for another long moment, as they both disappeared down the long, winding path to the meadow below.

* * *

"You seem a little nervous, Obi-Wan," Bail said, narrowing his eyes in the bright sunlight as he walked through the busy, bustling street beside his Jedi friend. "What's troubling you?"

Obi-Wan looked back at Bail, forcing a small smile from underneath his thick, dark hood. "Oh, I'm fine," he said, shaking his head slowly. "It's just hot under here, that's all."

"Yeah, right," Bail chuckled, tucking his hands in his pockets as another hot, dry blast of Tatooine's ever-present wind swept through his thick, dark hair. "And my mother was a bantha herder," he said, turning a sly grin back to Obi-Wan again. "Come on," he said, as he watched Obi-Wan looked back out toward the busy throngs of people that milled about them. "Remember who you're talking to," he said. "What's troubling you?"

Bail watched him, as he took a long deep breath, walking quietly along beside him for a long moment. "I'm not sure, Bail," Obi-Wan said, finally, as he turned his hooded, troubled face back toward his friend. "I just sense something," he sighed, as he looked back out toward the massive, bustling crowds.

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head slowly as they stopped at the corner of the street; they both watched, as several speeders raced through the intersection, their drivers shouting and chattering loudly as they passed. "Maybe it's just all the people here, or maybe I'm still worried about Anakin," he said, as they both started across the street again. "I'm just uneasy, and it's unnerving me a bit, that's all."

"Maybe I'm just letting all of this bounty hunter business get to me," Obi-Wan said, as he glanced over at Bail again. "I'm jumping every time I see a shadow," he sighed, as he watched two hooded figures walk past them, eyeing them warily as they did so. "Anakin was right," he said, shaking his head slowly as he tucked his own hands into the pockets beneath his robe. "I need to learn to lighten up."

"Well, you've been through a lot, lately," Bail said, nodding his head as he spoke. "All of us have. It's only natural that we're going to be a bit shell-shocked, with everything that's happened."

"Besides," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan intently, "Having your name on the hunt list, with half the Clone Army looking for you is nothing to take lightly," he said, shaking his head slowly. "A little extra caution is only prudent, given our current circumstances."

Obi-Wan both looked up, as they saw the old, wooden sign mounted above the door to the small cantina at the edge of the block.

"This is it," Bail said, looking at the carving of the wamprat that adorned the weathered old sign above them, as it swung briskly in the breeze. "The shortcut Andar told us about should be just around this corner," he said, as the two of them made their way quickly past the constant stream of people that flowed in and out of the door of the lively little pub.

Obi-Wan stopped, pausing for a moment as he looked inside; he could see patrons inside, talking, laughing and shouting amongst themselves, as the bartender poured drink after drink at the bar, passing them out as quickly as he could finish them.

"We may have to stop back in here for a drink, on the way back," Obi-Wan shouted over the din, as Bail looked at him and laughed. "I think I could use one."

"I've never been drinking with a Jedi before," Bail laughed, as he patted Obi-Wan soundly on the shoulder. "But, as Breha is so fond of saying," he said, as they walked around the corner and headed for the archway that lead through the rows of buildings toward the edge of the city proper, "there's a first time for everything."

* * *

The dark, hooded man watched, from his position across the street, his finger moving smoothly across the wheel atop his long-range binoculars as he drew his focus in on the two figures across the way.

"That'll do, nicely," he said to himself, a sly smile creeping across his face as he watched Bail and Obi-Wan step through the narrow, wind-worn archway and into the shadowy pedestrian walkway.

He dropped his binoculars quickly into the pocket of his cloak, as he reached underneath it with his free hand and produced a small transmitter. He glanced back out toward the street, narrowing his green eyes, as he watched Bail and Obi-Wan's shadowy figures, as they walked slowly through the narrow, dimly lit tunnel.

"Are you ready?" the man barked sharply into the transmitter, as he raised it up to his face and keyed the mic, watching them intently as he spoke. "They're coming your way, now, in the pedestrian tunnel near I'nkesh junction."

"Perfect," he heard the small, tinny voice reply from the other end. "We can be there in less than two minutes. Should be a perfect place to catch them."

"No heroics, do you understand?" the man barked back into the mic, as he looked intently at the transmitter. "Don't forget this guy is a Jedi, and the senator is no slouch, either," he said, as he looked back out toward the street. "I don't want any mistakes, is that understood?"

"Clearly," the voice replied, as he glanced back down at the transmitter in his gloved hand. "No mistakes, and no heroics. Understood."

"I hope so," the man said, as he looked back up at Obi-Wan and Bail's shadows as they disappeared into the tunnel's darkness. "Mistakes with a Jedi usually leave you dead."

He switched off the transmitter, returning it quickly to his belt, as he stepped out of the shadows and into the busy street. He reached up under his cloak, placing his hand on the hilt of the blaster rifle that was hidden under his arm; he switched the safety off, and pulled his cloak tighter around him as he wove through the maze of people as he made his way toward the entrance of the tunnel where Bail and Obi-Wan had disappeared.

"All right, my Jedi friend," he said, narrowing his eyes as he stepped into the opening of the tunnel after them. "I think it's time you and I said hello."

* * *

"So, do you know, yet, where you're going to stay, when this is all over?" Bail asked, as he and Obi-Wan walked quietly along beside each other through the long, pedestrian tunnel.

"I haven't really had much time to think about it," Obi-Wan sighed, as he watched another small group of individuals walk past them, chattering happily among themselves. "I suppose I'll need to find someplace reasonably close to Owen and Beru," he said, nodding his head slowly, "since I'm going to need to be close to help Shanda with her training."

"You did a good thing, Obi-Wan," Bail said, looking back at his Jedi friend with a smile as he spoke. "Shanda's a good kid," he said, tucking his hands into his pockets as he looked back ahead of them. "She deserves a family that'll take care of her the way that Owen and Beru will."

"I know," Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked back at Bail thoughtfully. "It seems that Anakin and Padmé have started something," he sighed, smiling to himself as Bail listened to him intently. "Jedi didn't _have _families, until the two of them came along," he said, shaking his head slowly as he chuckled quietly to himself. "Now we have two."

"Well, that always seemed like something of a silly rule to me, in the first place," Bail laughed, nodding his head as he watched a small group of Jawas shuffle past them, chattering wildly to each other as the scurried along. "And, from what you've told me, Anakin never was much of one for following rules in the first place."

"Neither was Padmé," Obi-Wan laughed, shaking his head. "But I think you probably already knew that."

"Very, very well," Bail chuckled; he glanced over for a brief moment, as he saw the two gentlemen that walked past, talking quietly to one another. "I remember one time," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan, "we were getting ready to introduce a new amendment to the senate floor, and Padmé..."

Obi-Wan's senses were suddenly on fire; he reached down to his belt, wrapping his hand tightly around the hilt of his saber, as he saw the tip of the blaster rifle suddenly appear beside Bail's head.

"Don't," the dark, hooded man growled; Obi-Wan froze, as he heard the blaster's power cell power up, as the man placed the muzzle of his rifle just below Bail's left ear. "Not if you value your friend's life, anyway."

Obi-Wan glanced back behind him, as he saw the two men who'd just passed them pull their own rifles from beneath their cloaks and take their positions a short distance from him, leveling their weapons at him.

"Nice and easy, now," the hooded man beside Bail said, as he looked over at Obi-Wan, his bright green eyes shining in the dim light. "Take that saber out, very slowly, two fingers only," he said, watching as Obi-Wan looked back at him angrily. "And toss it over on the ground behind you."

"And no sudden moves," he said, as he pressed the tip of his rifle against Bail's neck; Obi-Wan watched, as Bail cringed as he felt the cold, unforgiving metal just below his ear. "I know you Jedi are fast," he said, shaking his hooded head as he grinned back at Obi-Wan, "but you're not _that _fast."

Obi-Wan sighed, as he glanced around at the three men who surrounded them; all of them had their weapons trained on Bail, not him. He could take the two behind him, he knew that; but there was no way he could stop the third, before at least one of them got a shot off at his helpless friend.

"You win," Obi-Wan said resolutely, as he pulled his saber slowly from beneath his cloak between his thumb and index finger. The hooded man next to Bail watched, nodding his head slowly, as Obi-Wan tossed it behind him, and the man nearest him scrambled quickly to it and picked it up.

"Smart move," the hooded man said, as he took a step back from Bail and looked at both of them. "Now let's move, shall we?' he said, gesturing toward the tunnel ahead of them with the blaster rifle in his hand. "Nice and slowly, just a leisurely stroll," he said, as he and his two companions fell in behind their two unwilling captives.

"And remember," he growled, as Obi-Wan looked back over his shoulder at him, "you behave yourself," he said, as he tossed Obi-Wan a sarcastic smile. "Or your friend here will be the one who pays the price. Understand?"

"I understand," Obi-Wan said, not making any effort to conceal the anger and irritation in his voice as he spoke. He looked back at Bail, and the two of them exchanged glances for a long moment, as they made their way slowly through the tunnel.

"Do you mind telling us who you are, and what you want with us?" Obi-Wan asked, as he looked back over his shoulder toward the tall, hooded man that followed closely behind them.

"Zaydo Greelok, bounty hunter extraordinaire," the man said, nodding politely as he smiled back at Obi-Wan. "At your service."

"And I don't really want you for anything," he said, as he reached into his jacket and produced the stump of a short, dark cigar. "But the person I work for seems to want you pretty badly," he said, as he placed the cigar between his teeth and grinned back at him. "Quite badly, indeed."

"Not to worry, though," Zaydo said, as he nudged Bail along, pressing the tip of his blaster rifle between his shoulder blades. "You'll find out where we're going, and what they want with you, soon enough."

* * *

Padmé watched Anakin intently, as she sat on the soft grass not far from him, watching him as he swung his saber smoothly as the small remote whirled around him.

She always enjoyed watching him practice; it still amazed her, how quickly he could move, and how precise and measured his movements were, as he turned blast after blast from the small remote aside harmlessly into the ground around them.

She shook her head, laughing quietly to herself, as he stood up straight and switched off his saber; she watched, squeezing the saber in her hand tightly as the brilliant white blade of his weapon disappeared back into it's handle, and the small remote suddenly stopped moving, humming quietly as it floated in the air not far from him.

"So," Anakin said, his breath coming a little faster and heavier than usual, as he smiled back at her as she grinned up at him. "You ready to give it a try yourself?"

"I'm not going to have to do it that _fast, _am I?" she asked, a nervous smile on her face as she held her hand up to him, and he helped her up off the grass.

"Oh, absolutely," Anakin said, a mischievous grin on his face as she laughed at him and shoved him playfully. "I don't expect anything less out of you."

"Is it permitted in the code for a padawan to punch her master?" Padmé asked, as she shook her fist playfully at him as he laughed at her again.

"No, never," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly as he looked up at her sheepishly. "As a matter of fact," he said, still panting slightly as he reached over and pushed the small remote out a bit further from them, "I got a good, long lecture about that one time, from Master Yoda himself," he said, as he watched her mouth drop open in shocked amazement.

"Anakin Skywalker," Padmé gasped, laughing under her breath as she looked back at him, her mouth agape. "You didn't."

"Not hard," he said, shaking his head slowly as he grinned back at her. "And Obi-Wan started it, anyway."

"First the table, and the window in your apartment," she chuckled, shaking her head as she watched Anakin return his weapon to his vest and walk over to stand behind her. "And now I find out you slugged Obi-Wan," she said, looking over her shoulder at him with a smile. "Is there anything else you did as a boy that I should know about?"

"Well," Anakin laughed, raising his eyebrow as he reached around her and placed his hands on hers, placing them in their positions on the hilt of her weapon, "There was that one little incident in the library at the Temple," he said, his eyes twinkling as they met hers. "But that wasn't entirely my fault, and they _did _get the fire put out before it burned down all of the curtains in the North Hall."

"Anakin!" Padmé exclaimed, as she started to laugh hysterically as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Yes, I know," he laughed, shaking his head slowly and hugging her tightly as she laughed hysterically. "I was a problem child," he said, smiling as she turned her head and kissed him playfully on the cheek as she laughed at him.

"Hopefully," Padmé laughed, as she reached up and wiped away the tear that stood in the corner of her eye, "we won't have that problem with either one of ours."

"Are you kidding?" he chuckled, leaning over her shoulder and placing her hands back onto their positions on her weapon. "With me, and you, as their parents? We're doomed."

"Okay," Anakin said, as he took a deep breath and smiled back at her. "We're supposed to be practicing, so let's practice."

"Yes, Master," Padmé laughed softly, as she took a deep breath of her own, and looked down at the weapon in her hands.

"Now," Anakin said, as she listened to him intently, "The important thing is, when you're learning to use your weapon, that you keep your hands in this position at all times," he said, looking back at her as she nodded her head slowly. "You're going to rely on the Force to guide your movements. Understand?"

"I think so," Padmé said, nodding her head slowly as she squeezed the hilt of his weapon tightly in her hands.

"Remember," Anakin said, as he let go of her hands and walked around to stand in front of her, "stretch out with your feelings, and don't rely on your eyes alone to keep track of the remote. It's going to intentionally try to deceive you, to make you anticipate where you think it's going."

"But don't think," Anakin said, looking back at her with a smile as he reached up and pushed the remote a little farther away from her. "Feel," he said softly, as he watched her smile back at him. "Just like you do when you reach out and touch me, okay?"

"Okay," Padmé said, smiling at him nervously as she watched him take a few steps back and sit down on the ground a short distance from her.

"Just relax, Angel," Anakin said, nodding as she looked down at him. "The remote won't start until you switch on your saber, and if you want to stop, just turn it off."

"You're in complete control," he said, nodding his head as he looked at her reassuringly. "Are you ready?"

"I think so," Padmé said, as she took another long, deep breath; she closed her eyes for just a moment, as she reached out with her feelings, as Anakin had taught her in the months before.

Anakin smiled, as he felt the steady, comforting tremor as she reached into the Force. He leaned back on his arms, watching her quietly, as she opened her eyes and looked back at the remote in front of her.

Padmé took a deep breath and, with a flick of her finger, the brilliant white blade of Anakin's saber blazed forth in her hand, humming smoothly. She watched, stretching out with her feelings as hard as she could, as the tiny, silver remote began to move slowly around her as she swung her blade slowly to face it.

They were on their way, now, she thought to herself, down this new, uncharted path that the Force had placed before them. And there was no turning back.

* * *

"Through here," Zaydo said, motioning toward the small doorway near Obi-Wan; he watched, quite warily, as the Jedi Knight turned and glared at him in the dim light of the dark, dreary corridor.

"And don't get any ideas," he said, his dark green eyes shining brightly from underneath the hood of his cloak as he raised the tip of his blaster rifle up at Bail's head again. "It'd be a shame to have to shoot your senator friend here because you tried something stupid."

Obi-Wan glanced back at Bail, as he watched the tall, cloaked bounty hunter place the tip of his blaster just inches from his friend's temple; he glared back at their captor, for a long moment, and then reached down and opened the door. It creaked loudly as he pulled it open, and, looking back over his shoulder at their captor one more time, he and Bail stepped slowly through it, with Zaydo and his two companions following close behind.

The light inside the room was dim, but still significantly brighter than the dark corridor through which they had come; Obi-Wan blinked his eyes several times, as they adjusted themselves quickly to the light that filled the room around them as they entered. He looked across the large, round, windowless room, somewhat bewildered, as he saw the two cloaked individuals that sat at the large table near the center of the room stand up as they entered. He glanced back over his shoulder, watching as Zaydo pushed the door closed behind them and locked it; they were here, now, wherever here was. And it didn't look like they were going anywhere anytime soon.

Obi-Wan turned is attention back to the table in front of them, rather quickly, as he suddenly heard a pleasant female voice address them.

"Please, come in," the cloaked figure at the head of the table said, as she gestured to the two seats at the table near her and her companion. "And make yourselves comfortable."

Bail and Obi-Wan both exchanged a long, puzzled glance; they stood there quietly for a moment, and Obi-Wan watched as Bail turned his attention back toward the mysterious cloaked figure that stood near the head of the table.

"Thank you," Bail said, somewhat tersely, as he folded his hands quietly in front of him, "but I think we'll stand, if you don't mind."

Bail looked back over his shoulder, as he suddenly felt the tip of Zaydo's blaster pistol nudge him firmly between his shoulder blades. "Come on now, Senator," the bounty hunter growled, glancing over at Obi-Wan as he turned and looked back at him. "That's a little rude, don't you think?" he asked, giving Bail a stronger nudge and pushing him toward the center of the room. "Let's remember our manners, shall we? Have a seat."

Obi-Wan and Bail both looked at each other apprehensively, as they made their way slowly toward the center of the room. They turned their attention back toward the figure at the head of the table, as they heard her speak again.

"I'm afraid I owe the both of you an apology for bringing you here like this," she said, as she walked slowly around the table toward the two unwilling captives. "But under the circumstances, I'm afraid we were running out of time, and options."

"And," she continued, as she walked slowly toward them, "I'm sure you'll agree, Senator Organa, that it was a foregone conclusion that your Jedi friend here would, most likely, not want to come along willingly, if given a choice."

"You have us at a bit of a disadvantage, my lady," Bail said, as he watched the mysterious woman approach them; her voice seemed vaguely familiar, yet her hood concealed her face completely in this dim light. "You seem to know a great deal about us. Do we know you?"

"Very likely," she said, folding her hands in front of her as she stopped a few feet from them. "But I, obviously, know the both of you," she said, as she lifted her hands up and took hold of the hood that covered her face.

Obi-Wan and Bail watched, intently, as the woman tossed her hood back onto her shoulders; Obi-Wan's mouth dropped open, in stunned surprise, as he recognized the face that looked back at them, and he and Bail both exchanged a look of shocked amazement as she spoke again.

"Greetings, Senator Organa," the tall, elegant red-haired woman said, as she regarded them both with keen interest as she stepped up to Bail and extended her hand to him. "It's been quite some time since we've spoken."

"It has indeed," Bail said, shaking his head in curious wonder as he watched her smile warmly at him. "And I must admit," he said, looking back over his shoulder at the three hooded figures who watched them from the shadows, "I'm a little shocked and taken aback to find you here," he said, looking back at her again, "especially under these circumstances."

"Desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures," the woman said, nodding her head slowly as she released Bail's hand. "I believe," she said, turning and looking at Obi-Wan as he watched her silently, "that we have a matter of great urgency to discuss."

Bail followed her gaze to Obi-Wan's bewildered face. "Obi-Wan," he said, as he reached over and placed his hand on his companion's shoulder, "This is senator..."

"Mon Mothma, of Chandrilla," Obi-Wan finally said, cutting Bail short as he bowed politely toward her. "It's an honor to meet you, Senator," he said, shaking his head slowly as he turned his bewildered gaze toward her. "I've heard a great deal about you, but I must admit, I'm as shocked as Senator Organa to find you here, with us, on Tatooine."

"We have you to thank for that, Master Kenobi," Mon Mothma said, looking at him with a keen smile as she motioned for Zaydo to approach; Obi-Wan and Bail watched, as she held out her hand as Zaydo placed the small display into her palm.

Obi-Wan sighed, as he looked at his own image on the small display as Mon Mothma held it up in front of him. "We might never have been able to find you," she said, "if it hadn't been for this."

"I'm just thankful we found you, before Chancellor Palpatine's agents did," she said, as she handed the tiny device back to Zaydo. "It would have been a tremendous loss to us, had you or Senator Organa fallen into their hands."

"Return the good Jedi's weapon to him, Zaydo," Mon Mothma said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a smile. "I believe it's safe to do so, now."

Obi-Wan held out his hand, looking back at Zaydo intently as the tall bounty hunter reached under his cloak and placed the shiny, silver weapon into his palm. "Sorry about that, old boy," Zaydo said, nodding his head slowly as he and Obi-Wan exchanged a respectful glance. "But I couldn't risk you trying anything until we got you here as the Senator requested."

"Which brings us to the reason why we're here," Mon Mothma said, stepping to the side and gesturing toward the table behind them. "If you'll both have a seat," she said, watching them as they walked slowly toward the table, "I believe we have much to discuss that might be of keen interest to the both of you."


	21. Birth of a Rebellion

_**Chapter 21: Birth Of A Rebellion**_

"So there you have it, gentlemen," Mon Mothma sighed, leaning back in her chair as she spoke, regarding Bail and Obi-Wan with keen interest. "Twelve systems have pledged their support, and all of the resources at their disposal."

"Commander Rieekan, here, should be able to assist us with developing a plan of action," she said, as she gestured toward the tall, thin gentleman who sat beside her, watching Bail and Obi-Wan intently. "But we'll need your help for this to have any chance at all of success."

She watched the two of them carefully, as Obi-Wan and Bail exchanged a thoughtful glance for long moment.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Senator," Obi-Wan said, leaning forward and folding his hands thoughtfully on the table in front of him. "If Sidious finds out what you're up to, the Jedi won't be the only ones with the Clone Army breathing down their necks."

"Not to mention," Bail said, shaking his head slowly as he leaned back in his own chair, "it's going to be extremely difficult for us, as senators, to hide our involvement," he said, as he turned his gaze back to Obi-Wan. "Especially in light of what's happened."

"I, for one, am willing to take that risk," Mon Mothma said, the tone of her voice growing firm and resolute. "The Jedi have paid a tremendous price, already," she said, shaking her head slowly as a look of deep anguish filled her regal face. "They should not have to bear the burden of undoing the Chancellor's evil alone."

"Agreed," Bail replied, nodding his head firmly. "And, with what I've witnessed in the past few days, I can say with certainty that it's a foregone conclusion that we cannot defeat him, without them."

"You don't know how relieved I am, to hear that at least some of you survived the Chancellor's initial attack, Master Kenobi," Mon Mothma said, turning her attention to Obi-Wan as he sat beside her. "When we received news of what had happened at the Temple, we feared the worst."

"How many Jedi, do you think, survived the initial assault?" she asked, leaning forward in her chair as she spoke.

"It's difficult to say," Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head slowly as he rubbed his fingertips thoughtfully on the smooth, dark wood table in front of him. "All of the Council members, save Master Yoda, are dead, as far as we know. Anakin and I reversed the homing beacon, before any of the other Jedi arrived, but we have no way of knowing, yet, how many of them were able to escape into hiding," he said, " or how many were killed by their own clone troops on the outlying systems."

Obi-Wan shook his head, sorrowfully, sitting quietly for a moment. "Besides Anakin, myself, and Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, as he looked back up at them, "we found no one else alive in the Temple, except the children."

"Children?" Carlist Riekkan, the thin, salt-and-pepper haired man beside Mon Mothma asked; he and the senator exchanged a shocked glance for a moment, and then he looked at Obi-Wan with keen interest. "You mean, padawan children?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he watched them exchange glances again. "Most of the older ones were killed by Vader when he initially attacked the Temple, but Anakin, Bail and I managed to rescue thirty-seven of the youngest ones from one of the dormitories, just before we left the Temple to go after him."

Obi-Wan watched the elegant, red-haired senator close her eyes and sigh deeply, as she turned her gaze back to him. "A bright ray of incredibly good news, one that shines brightly in the face of such dark evil," she said. "This is welcome news, indeed. Are they safe?"

"For the moment," Obi-Wan nodded, as he looked across the table at Bail. "We have them secured at a friend's residence, not far from here."

"This Vader you speak of is the one who concerns me at the moment," Carlist said; Obi-Wan and the others watched him as he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and produced a small display. "Those of us who've been watching the Chancellor's actions for the past few months weren't terrible surprised by his sudden grasp for power, but we've never heard of this fellow before, or of the Chancellor's involvement with the Sith."

"One of our agents managed to catch this image of him, with Palpatine, as the two of them were boarding a shuttle on Coruscant a few hours ago," he said, as he slid the display across the table, watching intently as Obi-Wan caught it and picked it up. "How much do you know about him?"

"More than I'd like to, to be honest," Obi-Wan sighed, looking at the shadowy image on the display in his hand; it was blurry, at best, but he could make out the smooth, round contours of the helmet on the figure he had seen, when they had blasted their way out of the Coruscant system the day before.

"He's extremely powerful, and well skilled in the Jedi arts, just like the dark master he serves," Obi-Wan said, sliding the display across the table to Bail. "I know a few more things that I'd rather not disclose right now, but I _can _tell you that I sensed no redeeming traits in him at all, when I faced him on Mustafar," he said, looking back at Mon Mothma and Carlist with a grim expression. "He's a vessel of pure, unbridled evil," he said, turning his eyes down toward the table again. "Just like Sidious."

"So it's a foregone conclusion that he'll kill you, first chance he gets, if he finds you," Carlist said, watching as Obi-Wan nodded his head slowly in agreement. "And those children, as well."

"We cannot allow that to happen," Mon Mothma said defiantly, shaking her head firmly as she spoke. "Enough innocent blood has been spilt in the past few hours. I'll not see those children murdered, not if there's anything I can do to stop it."

"Obi-Wan," Bail said, turning his eyes from the display in his hand and watching as his friend looked up at him, "Perhaps now would be a good time to share your plan for the children with Senator Mothma, and the commander," he said, nodding his head slowly. "They may be able to help us."

Mon Mothma and Carlist both listened intently, as Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair and bridged his fingers thoughtfully in front of him.

"As I said, we have no way of knowing how many Jedi survived the initial assault," Obi-Wan continued, looking at his hands thoughtfully as he spoke. "But, with Padmé's help, we _were _able to save a great deal of the information from the Temple archives before they were destroyed."

"We hope," he sighed, "to be able to use that information to locate the remaining Jedi, and, with a little time and luck, get the children into their care so that they can resume their training."

"But it's going to be a difficult task, for the three of us," Obi-Wan said, drumming his fingers slowly on the desk in front of him as he spoke. "Anakin and Padmé have access to resources that can help us find them, but it's going to fall to Bail, and myself, to get the children to them after we locate them."

"A monumental task, indeed, for so few," Mon Mothma said thoughtfully, as she watched Obi-Wan nod his head in agreement. "It's going to be especially difficult for you, Master Kenobi, given the level of interest the new Emperor's agents seem to have in you at the moment."

"But, with our help," she said, looking back at Obi-Wan, a sly smile spreading across her face as she spoke, "I think we can help improve your chances dramatically."

"Howso?" Obi-Wan asked; Mon Mothma smiled, as she watched his brow furrow as he looked at her. She had, finally, managed to peak this wary Jedi's interest.

"I have a proposal for you, Master Kenobi," Mon Mothma said, leaning back in her chair and folding her hands thoughtfully in front of her as she looked back at him with a smile. "One that I think you'll find most interesting."

"Zaydo," Mon Mothma said, watching as the tall, cloaked bounty hunter stepped a bit closer to the table where they sat, "Would you and your men mind keeping an eye on the door and the surrounding hallways? I don't want anyone eavesdropping on our conversation. I'll summon you on the communicator when we're finished."

"Of course, Senator," Zaydo replied with an obedient nod, and he motioned quickly to his two companions; Obi-Wan and Bail both watched them, as they walked quickly through the door and secured it behind them.

"These walls sometimes have ears," Mon Mothma said, watching her two curious guests as they turned their attention back to her. "And, given our current situation, we cannot be too careful."

"As I was saying, Master Kenobi," she said, "It seems we both need each other, now more than ever," she said. "And I have a proposal for you, and your companions in the Jedi Order, that I believe you'll find to your liking."

"What kind of proposal?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at her curiously.

"An alliance, simply put," Mon Mothma said, watching the Jedi Master as he looked back at Bail again. "An alliance that will help us restore what has been taken from us, and get those children where they belong," she said. "And here's how I propose we do it."

* * *

The afternoon sun beat down hard, as it always did, and Obi-Wan stepped a little closer to the counter; he glanced up, shielding his eyes with his hand, as he looked up at the dust-filled sky above the bustling spaceport. The larger of Tatooine's two suns shone brightly, engulfing the light of its smaller sibling near it as it continued to bathe the surrounding landscape in a thick, stifling heat.

Obi-Wan turned his attention back to the man at the counter, as he heard him speak. "Passage for four to Coruscant will run you sixty-three rupii rupii," he said, as he thrust out his hand over the counter; Obi-Wan looked at the four small, round transport tokens that rested in his palm, as the stout gentleman jostled them in his large, thick-fingered hand.

"That'll do fine," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head as he reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out the handful of local currency that Andar had given him when he had arrived. "When does the transport leave?" he asked, as he quickly counted out the amount in the palm of his hand and then plopped it down on the worn, dusty counter in front of him.

"Ten minutes," the man replied, placing the tokens into Obi-Wan's outstretched hand as he picked up the small pile of coins. "Docking bay twenty-seven, just beyond those containers there," he said, gesturing toward the two large buildings across the spaceport from them.

Obi-Wan followed the gentleman's finger with his eyes, nodding his head as he caught site of the large transport that sat on the loading platform behind the second of the two buildings, it's engines jetting a steady stream of coolant as it sat in the hot, brilliant sun. "The larger one, in the back there?" Obi-Wan asked, turning his attention back to the man as he pointed toward the transport with his free hand.

"That's it," the man replied, nodding his head firmly. "It's a full flight, so you'd better hurry, if you want to get your cargo packed in the hold before they take off," he said, as he placed the coins in the slot near his small computer terminal. "Or else you'll be sitting on it all the way home."

"Thanks," Obi-Wan replied with a nod, and, squeezing the tokens tightly in his fist, he turned and made his way back through the thick throngs of people toward the small open-air café a short distance from him; he could see his companions as they waited on him, sitting around one of the larger tables, underneath the old, wind-torn awning.

"There you go," Obi-Wan replied, as he walked up to the table and placed the tokens on it; he watched, as Mon Mothma picked them up and handed two to Bail, and then one to Commander Rieekan, keeping one for herself.

"You're all booked," Obi-Wan said, tossing his hood back onto his shoulders as he stepped out of the bright sunlight and walked around the back of the table to stand beside Andar, where he stood watching quietly as the other tucked the tokens securely in their pockets. "The transport leaves in ten minutes," he said, nodding his head as he folded his arms tightly across his chest.

"The gentleman at the passage counter suggests you get your things checked in early," he said, looking at them with a somewhat weary smile as they all stood up from the table. "Unless you want them to ride with you."

"Very well, then," Mon Mothma said, tossing the hood of her dusty white cloak over her bright red hair as she stood up. "I suppose we'd better be on our way, then."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Bail asked, turning his attention to Obi-Wan as he handed the small token in his hand to Breha as she stood beside him, watching Obi-Wan intently. "I hate to see you have to do this by yourself," he said, shaking his head slowly. "Especially with all of those bounty hunters looking for you."

"I'll be fine," Obi-Wan said with a resolute smile, nodding his head firmly as they headed out into the main thoroughfare and started through the thick throngs toward the docking bay where their transport waited. "I've got a couple of things I need to do before I contact Master Yoda," he said, glancing over at Andar for a moment as he spoke, "but I should be able to make contact with him and get back in touch with you in a few days."

"That should give us enough time to contact the ones you'll need to help with the children," Commander Rieekan replied, as Obi-Wan turned his attention to him. "We'll pass that information to Mister Gandh, just as we planned," he said, watching as the stout gentleman nodded firmly. "He'll have it as soon as you get back."

"Good," Obi-Wan said, tucking his hands deeply into his pockets as they approached the entrance to the docking bay. "I think Master Yoda will be agreeable," he said, nodding his head slowly as they all stopped and huddled in a small circle a short distance from the entrance. "As soon as I've obtained his approval, I'll signal you."

"Very well," Mon Mothma said, as she folded her hands in front of her. "We will await your signal then, Master Kenobi," she said, looking at him with a smile. "With great anticipation."

"We'd better get under way, then," Bail sighed, looking over his shoulder at the throng of people that streamed through the entrance onto the docking bay's boarding ramp; he looked back at Breha, and he felt her squeeze his hand tightly as they both looked back at Obi-Wan.

"Well, my friends," Obi-Wan said, taking a long deep breath and sighing deeply as he smiled, a little weakly, at them. "I suppose this is where our paths have to part for a little while."

Obi-Wan smiled at Breha, as he watched her reach up and dab gently at the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry I cost you your ship," he said, looking at them both apologetically. "I know it's been a long time since the two of you have had to make use of public transportation like this," he said, glancing up at the massive transport for a moment.

"But if it's any consolation," he sighed, "the man at the counter assured me that the food on this particular transport is the best in the fleet."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," Bail said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a grin as he reached up and patted his shoulder soundly.

Bail, Obi-Wan, and Breha all turned their attention to Mon Mothma, as she spoke again. "I believe it's time we get onboard the transport, Commander," she said, looking at her tall, thin companion with a somber smile. "And let these friends say goodbye properly."

"Do be careful, Master Kenobi," she said, as she extended her hand out toward him. "And remember, Zaydo will be standing by if you need him, and don't hesitate to call on him," she said, looking up at him with a smile as Obi-Wan took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"He can be quite resourceful," she said, looking at him slyly, "As I'm sure you've already learned quite well."

"Indeed I have," Obi-Wan nodded, as he released her hand and shook Commander Rieekan's firmly. "And I will. Thank you."

"Go carefully, then," she said, sighing deeply as she took a long, deep breath. "And may the Force be with you, and your companions."

"May the Force be with all of us, Senator," Obi-Wan replied with a nod, as he folded his hands in front of his cloak. He watched, with Bail and Breha, as Mon Mothma and Commander Rieekan picked up their belongings, and then made their way toward the entrance to the transport's docking ramp.

"It's about time for you to get going, too," Obi-Wan sighed, turning his attention to Bail and Breha again, as Andar came and stood beside them. "You don't want to miss that transport."

Breha watched, dabbing at the tear that stood in the corner of her eye, as Obi-Wan and Bail both embraced each other tightly for a long moment. She glanced over at Andar, and she smiled as she watched him reach up to his burly, portly face and do the same.

"Thank you for everything, Bail," Obi-Wan said, looking up at his friend and squeezing his shoulders tightly as he finally released him from his embrace. "I don't know how we could have done any of this without you."

"I'm just sorry we couldn't do more," Bail said, nodding his head slowly as he smiled weakly back at his friend.

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, looking back at the transport behind them, and watching as Mon Mothma turned and looked back at them one more time, "It seems we're going to get another chance," he said, turning a sly grin back to Bail and Breha, "if everything goes well."

"I hope so," Bail nodded, as Obi-Wan hugged Breha tightly for a long moment. "I'll be waiting."

"Take care of the children, Obi-Wan," she said, looking up at him as she released him. "And take good care of Shanda," she said, nodding her head firmly. "And be sure to let us know how she's doing, okay?"

"I will," Obi-Wan nodded. "I promise."

"Thank you, Andar," Bail said, extending his hand to their portly new friend and squeezing it tightly. "Be sure to keep an ear open for that transmission from Commander Rieekan, all right?"

"No worries, there, my good Senator," Andar replied, smiling widely. "And don't worry about ol' Ben, here," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan as he slapped him soundly on the shoulder. "I'll see that he's well taken care of."

"We're leaving him in good hands, then," Bail chuckled. "You two take care of yourselves, and we'll be in touch soon. Okay?"

"All right," Obi-Wan replied, watching them as they picked up their bags and looked back at him again. "Have a safe journey, my friends," Obi-Wan said, smiling widely at the both of them. "And may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi," Breha replied, as she and Bail both turned and headed toward the docking bay behind them.

Obi-Wan and Andar watched quietly, for a long moment, as Bail and Breha made their way through the thick throngs of people toward the entry ramp; Obi-Wan watched them, as long as he could, until they finally disappeared up the ramp and out of view.

"Well, my friend," Andar sighed, patting Obi-Wan soundly on the shoulder as the tall, bearded Jedi turned his thoughtful face toward him, "what do you say the two of us get back to the speeder and get on our way?"

"If the wind is with us," Andar chuckled, tossing his hood up over his head and placing his odd-shaped sunglasses on his nose as they both started back through the thick mass of people that filled the spaceport, "I think we can be back at the Lars homestead in less than two hours."

Obi-Wan looked at Andar's stout, smiling face as he patted him soundly on the shoulder again. "But first," he said, looking up at his Jedi friend and gesturing across the way to the small, lively cantina near the spaceport's entrance. "Why don't you let me introduce you to some of the best food and one of the finest ales to be found this side of Anchorhead, hmm?"

"Sounds good," Obi-Wan replied, as he tossed his own hood up over his head. "I'm starving, to be honest, and I've been promising myself a drink for a while now," he said, looking back at Andar with a grin as they walked along through the thick, bustling throng. "And I think it's about time I kept that promise."

"Good man!" Andar exclaimed with a laugh, slapping Obi-Wan soundly on the back as they worked their way through the thickly crowded street. "Besides," he said, as Obi-Wan looked back at him with a grin, "I think it's high time we two got a chance to swap a few good stories over a meal, anyway."

Obi-Wan glanced over his shoulder one more time; he looked at the massive transport for another moment, as he heard it begin to warm up its engines and then, with a long, deep sigh, he turned and followed Andar through the doorway of the busy, lively pub.

* * *

The late afternoon sun shone brightly through the windows, as she opened the door to their bedroom; she reached down and took the lightsaber from her belt, dropping it with a solid _thump _onto their dresser as she walked quickly, but stiffly, by it and headed straight for their bed.

Padmé scrubbed her fingers through her hair, shaking out the last remains of her ponytail as she stepped up beside the tall, inviting piece of furniture near the center of their large, spacious room. She winced, as she turned and sat down slowly on the side of it; she took a long, slow breath as she shrugged her shoulders slowly for a moment, and then she groaned, quite loudly, as she let her aching muscles finally relax.

"Oohhh," she moaned, long and slowly; it was a mixture of both pain and pleasure, and Anakin turned and looked over his shoulder at her as he quietly pushed the door to their room closed behind him, smiling as he watched her flop backwards onto their bed, as limp as a dishrag, her long, brown hair coming to rest in a haphazard mess on top of her face.

"Whatsa matter?" he asked, a sly grin spreading slowly across his face as he walked toward the bed and sat down beside her; he laughed quietly to himself, as he watched her lay there for a long moment, her eyes closed, with her arms stretched high over her head. She moved, finally, and he laughed again as he watched her take a long deep breath and puff, as hard as she could, sending several thick locks of her long, disheveled hair flying off her face and down to her shoulders.

Her eyes never fluttered; her lips were the only thing that moved as she answered him. "I've never been so tired in my life," she sighed, as she lay perfectly still on her back. "You never told me that we were going to have to do all that running," she said, as she finally opened her eyes and looked back at him, through the haze of dark, disheveled hair that still half covered her face.

Anakin smiled back at her, as he saw the sly smirk that spread slowly across her tired, lovely face. "Sorry 'bout that," he said, a little apologetically as he reached over and rubbed her arm affectionately, as she reached up with her free hand and brushed her hair from her face. "I know it was a long day. I didn't push you too hard, did I?"

"No," she answered, closing her eyes and grimacing a little as she leaned up slowly and rested her weight on her elbows. "It's just going to take me a while to get used to it, that's all," she said, looking up at him with a slightly painful grin.

"Could I ask you to do one thing for me, though?" Padmé asked, smiling at him sweetly as she looked up at him again.

"Anything," Anakin replied with a nod, rubbing her arm gently as he sat beside her on the edge of the bed.

"Could you help me take my boots off?" she laughed quietly, smiling up at him sheepishly. "I can't bend down that far right now," she laughed, tired and painfully, as she closed her eyes again and leaned back a little further onto her elbows.

"Not a problem," Anakin replied, nodding his head firmly as he slid a little closer to her; she lifted her leg, quite gingerly, and rested it on his knee, watching him with a smile as he started to unfasten the buckles that ran down the outside of her boots. He got them unfastened, rather quickly, and then he gave her boot a sharp tug with his hand.

"Ouch!" Padmé cried softly; Anakin looked back at her, a little concerned, as he heard her quiet, but sharp cry of pain as he felt the muscles in her leg tense up.

"You all right?" he asked, watching her as she looked at her leg, somewhat disgustedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, as she reached down and touched the side of her leg gently, just below her hip. "It's just pretty sore where that stupid remote got me."

"I told you, it stings when you miss," Anakin chuckled, shaking his head slowly as he pulled her boot off her foot, a little more carefully, and dropped it into the floor beside the bed. "It's designed to make you remember it, at least for a couple of hours."

"Tell me about it," she muttered again, reaching over with her right hand and rubbing her left shoulder just as gingerly, as he stood up and sat back down on her right side, as he started to work on her other boot. "Now my leg, my arm, _and_ my tummy are sore," she sighed, watching him as he unfastened the buckles on her boot.

"Well," Anakin sighed, as he gently pulled her boot off and dropped it on the floor by its mate, "You only got hit twice, and both of 'em were on your weak side," he said, looking back at her as he reached up and rubbed her shoulder gently. "That's really, really good for your first practice. You should be really proud of yourself."

"I'll be proud later," Padmé frowned, closing her eyes as she reached down slowly and rubbed her leg carefully again. "Right now I'm too sore to be proud."

Padmé opened her eyes, watching him with a tired, curious smile, as he patted her leg soundly, and then laid it gently back on the bed and stood up. "Well," he said, as he started across the room toward the closet near the doorway, "In that event, then there's one other little Jedi secret I need to let you in on," he said, as he opened the closet door and looked inside.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, watching him with keen interest as he rummaged through the huge mass of various things on his shelf. "I don't see how you can find anything in there, anyway," she said, shaking her head as she watched him dig through his personal pile of stuff; Anakin kept most things organized, but this one shelf, in their closet, was the exception. It was, for lack of a better term - a complete, and total, mess.

"Hey, I know where _everything_ is in here," he said, glancing back at her with a grin as he reached back farther into the thick array of items. "Most of it, anyway, I think," he said, as he leaned forward and squinted intently into the dark closet.

"Ahh, _here_ we are," he said, his face brightening as he suddenly pulled a small, round container out from the closet. Padmé watched him curiously, as he walked back over and sat down on the bed beside her, looking intently as the small, dusty brown container in his hand.

"What's that?" she asked, leaning up a little higher on her elbows as she watched him blow the dust off the cover of the small, oval dish.

"Mandarrow root," Anakin said, looking back at her with a grin as he twisted the top of the small container firmly. "The best kept secret in the galaxy."

"Come on," he grinned, as he sat the container on the bed beside him and started to unfasten the buttons on her dust-covered tunic. "Let's get these dirty clothes off."

"Why, Anakin," Padmé said, tossing him a tired, but seductive smile as she watched him unfasten the top buttons on her sandy brown tunic. "I'm a little tired right now, baby," she giggled quietly, as she watched him gently pull her tunic down over her left shoulder.

"Maybe later, then?" he asked, raising his eyebrow and grinning slyly at her as he reached down and picked up the small container again.

"Very likely," Padmé laughed softly, pursing her lips and blowing him a playful kiss; she watched him as he snapped the top off the container and placed it on the bed beside him.

"What's that stuff for?" she asked, looking at him curiously as he lifted the container to his nose and sniffed, cautiously.

"Whoo," he laughed, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he snapped his head away, and then, before she could turn away, stuck the small container quickly under her nose. "It stinks as bad as I remember."

"Ohhh!" Padmé exclaimed, squeezing her own eyes shut tightly and wrinkling her nose as she turned her head away quickly. "That stuff smells _horrible!" _she said, looking back at him with a disgusted frown as he laughed at her. "What in the world _is_ that?"

"I told you," Anakin laughed, as he reached into the dish and dabbed at the greenish-blue paste inside with two of his fingers. "Mandarrow root," he said, looking back up at her and watching as she recoiled away from him a bit, a look of complete and utter disgust on her face.

"You're not going to put that smelly stuff _on _me are you?" Padmé asked; she recoiled a little more, as she watched him lean a little closer to her exposed shoulder.

"Trust me," Anakin said, winking at her as he pulled her a little closer to him and examined the bright pink mark on her shoulder where the remote's blast had struck her. "Just hold still a minute."

Padmé closed her eyes and grit her teeth, as she felt the cold, thick paste touch her sensitive skin; it stung, for just an instant, as he began to massage it gently onto her skin with his fingers.

"Wow," she said, looking back at him, a bit astonished, as she felt the angry, stinging sensation begin to quickly subside. "That stuff really works," she said, looking down at her shoulder with a grin as she saw the big, greenish-blue circle he was painting onto her shoulder.

"Toldya," Anakin smiled, never taking his eyes off her shoulder as he gently massaged the mandarrow root paste onto her wound. "Master Windu was the first one who introduced me to this stuff," he said, looking back up at her with a smile as he worked. "It stinks, but I used to take a _bath _in it after saber practice."

"Besides," he said, cocking his head and looking at her shoulder thoughtfully as he worked. "You only have to leave it on for an hour or so, and you can wash it off later when you take a shower," he said, watching her as she smiled up at him as he reached down and patted her wounded hip gently. "And you'll be good as new."

"You're so sweet," Padmé smiled, as she leaned back on the bed and unfastened the belt around her waist, lifting herself up and helping him wiggle her pants down over her hips. "But I think you've just found another interesting way of getting me out of my clothes," she laughed, raising back up on her elbows as she watched him toss her dirty, dusty pants onto the floor by her boots.

"Yup," Anakin said with a nod, tossing her a sly grin as he sat down on the bed beside her again and patted her on the hip playfully. "And it worked good, too," he said, winking at her again as she laughed quietly at him. "Come on, now, roll over a bit and let me take at look at your leg."

Padmé rolled onto her right side, a little stiffly, and she looked back over her shoulder and watched him as he examined her leg for a moment; she winced again, as he applied the mandarrow root paste to the mild, circular burn just below her hip. "That stuff's _cold,"_ she said, looking back at him with a grin as she felt the pain and irritation begin to subside just as quickly as it had before.

"Yup," he quipped again, nodding his head firmly and placing his free hand on her hip as he worked the thick, soothing paste deep into her skin. "But it works," he said, looking up at her with a grin as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. "And that's all that matters."

"What would I do without you?" Padmé sighed, a tired smile on her face she rolled a little further onto her side and laid her head down on her arm, watching him as he put the lid back on the small container securely.

"You'd be in a lot of pain, over the next few weeks, that's what," Anakin chuckled, reaching over and patting her on the backside playfully as he stood up and walked back across the room toward the closet. "At least until you learn to compensate for that weak left side."

"Ha,ha," she laughed sarcastically, watching him as he looked back at her and laughed quietly to himself. She took a long, deep breath, as she watched him put the container of mandarrow root paste back into their closet. "I don't know about you," she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as she stretched herself out a little straighter on their bed and relaxed a little more, "but I'm exhausted. And I'm starving."

"I'll bet you are," Anakin said with a nod, as he took his saber from his belt and placed it on the dresser beside their closet, next to the one she had placed there a bit earlier. "You worked hard today, Padmé," he said, looking down and slowly unfastening his old weapon belt. "Master Yoda would be really, really proud of you."

"And I'm proud of you, too," Anakin sighed, as he hung his old belt on the hook inside the closet, where it had remained since he and Padmé had returned home four years ago. It had been a long time since he'd used it; he much preferred the new one that Padmé had fashioned for him, but this one would do fine, he'd thought, until she was ready to build her own saber.

"Tell you what," he said, as he picked up their weapons and looked at them thoughtfully. "I'll take care of Luke and Leia tonight, and right after supper, you can..."

Anakin paused, as he turned and looked back at her; he smiled, looking at her fondly for a long moment; she was asleep. Already.

He walked quietly to their dresser, and, opening the top drawer as quietly as he could, he placed the lightsabers in his hand into their place in the compartment in the back, and then closed it quietly.

"You really were tired, weren't you?" he whispered, as he turned and picked up their blanket off the chair that sat next to their bed and walked quietly over beside her. "Well," he whispered quietly as he unfolded the colorful old blanket and sat down gently beside her, "like I was saying, right after supper, you can lie down and take a long, well deserved nap," he said, as he tossed the blanket out away from him and pulled it up gently over her.

He looked at her for a long moment, gently brushing her thick, disheveled hair out of her face as she slept. "You did good today, baby," he whispered, nodding his head slowly as he smiled proudly at her. "Really, really good."

Anakin sat quietly at her side for a long moment, listening to her soft, rhythmic breathing. His countenance grew more somber and thoughtful, as he let himself think, a little more deeply, about the challenge that lay before her.

"I wish I understood all of this, and everything that's happened," he whispered, as he brushed his fingers lightly across her cheek. "And you don't know how badly I wish that you never had to do any of this."

"I wish we could just forget everything that's happened, and go back to the way things were before," he said, shaking his head slowly as he looked at her thoughtfully. "But I know we can't."

Anakin sat quietly for a long moment; he knew, as well as Padmé did, that there was no turning back now, that the Force had chosen this path for them, and, for whatever reason, they must follow it, and follow it together. He took a long, deep breath, and then, very slowly, leaned close to her.

"Sleep well, Angel," he whispered, as he kissed her gently on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."

Anakin smiled, as he watched her take a long, contented breath. He sat there quietly for a long moment, just watching her as she slept, until he suddenly heard the soft knock on their bedroom door.

He stood up, as quietly and slowly as he could so as not to wake her, and walked across the room to the door. He turned the knob slowly, and he smiled as he pulled the door open and saw Sola grinning back at him, slyly.

"Hey," Sola said, as she watched Anakin reach up and run his fingers through his long, disheveled hair as he opened the door a bit wider. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Not hardly," he chuckled, turning to the side a bit and nodding his head toward the bed where Padmé lay sleeping, quite soundly. "She got still for a minute," he said, looking back at Sola with a grin. "She's out for a while now, I think."

"Poor thing," Sola laughed, shaking her head slowly as she stepped back away from the door, giving Anakin some room as he stepped out into the hallway and closed the door quietly behind him. "You must have really worked her over hard today," she said, as she looked down with a smile at the small, wiggling bundle in her arms.

"I was just bringing Luke around so she could spend some time with him for a while," she said, watching Anakin smile as she placed his son into his arms. "But I think he'll be happy with seeing daddy for a few minutes."

"How've they been today?" Anakin asked, looking down at his newborn son fondly as they both walked slowly back down the hallway toward the living room.

"Oh, they've been fine," Sola replied, watching Anakin as he bounced Luke gently in his arms. "Mom's had them most of the day," she said. "They haven't been any trouble at all."

"I really appreciate you and Mom watching them for us today, Sola," Anakin said, looking back at her as they walked slowly into the living room. "I promise, Padmé and I will figure out a way to work all of this in so you won't have to..."

"Nonsense," Sola said, shaking her head and cutting him off mid sentence. "We're all in this together, little brother," she said, reaching over and squeezing his shoulder gently as she smiled back at him. "If my baby sister needs help, that's what I'm here for."

"And that reminds me," she said, folding her arms across her chest as she watched him sit down carefully on the couch as he cradled Luke gently in his arms. "Your droid was looking for you a little while ago."

"Which one?" Anakin asked, looking at Luke as he watched him wiggle, quite actively, in his arms.

"Artoo," she said, as she sat down on the edge of the table in front of him. "I'm not sure," she said, as Anakin looked up at her curiously, "but I think he said he had a message for you."

"Did he say who it was from?" Anakin asked, his expression growing a bit more curious as he looked up at her.

"I don't think so," Sola said, shaking her head slowly. "But he seemed to think it was pretty important," she said, as she reached into into her pocket and began to rummage through it.

Anakin shifted Luke back a little further in his arm, reaching out with his right hand as she pulled a small device from her pocket and held it out to him. "He said to give you this," Sola said, looking at her brother-in-law curiously as she dropped the small, round device into his outstretched palm. "It's been beeping now, on and off, for about twenty minutes."

Anakin's brow furrowed, as he turned his old homing device over slowly in his hand; the small indicator near its apex was flashing, slowly.

"It's Obi-Wan," Anakin said, looking up at Sola with a concerned, thoughtful expression.

"Are you sure?" Sola asked, as she leaned closer to him and looked at the tiny homing device with him. "I thought Padmé said that thing could only be activated from the Temple."

"Normally, yes," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly as he watched the message indicator pulse slowly. "I reprogrammed Obi-Wan, Yoda's, and mine before we left Deyer," he said, turning his attention back to Sola again. "So we'd have a way to signal each other if we ran into trouble."

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Sola asked, her own expression growing a bit more worried as she watched Anakin look at the device in his hand thoughtfully for a long moment.

"I don't know," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly as he tucked the small device into the pocket of his tunic. "But I think it might be a good idea to find out."

"It'd be safer to contact him from the shop," Anakin said, looking back at Luke again as he rocked him gently in the crook of his arm. "I need to get Artoo to bring the speeder around," he said, looking back at Sola again. "Do you know where he is?"

"You just sit tight and spend some time with your son for a few minutes," Sola said with a smile, as she stood up from the table and started toward the kitchen. "I know where he is," she said, looking back over her shoulder at him. "I'll have him bring the speeder around in ten minutes."

"Thanks, Sola," Anakin replied with a grin, watching her as she walked through the door and into the kitchen. He looked back at Luke again, settling a little farther back into the couch, as he took a long, deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Luke," Anakin said quietly, as he watched Luke wrap his tiny fingers around his own and hold it tightly, as he brushed his fingertip against his tiny palm. "It seems like we just can't get a few minutes to just sit and be quiet lately, does it?"

"But I promise, that's gonna change, soon as I get home tonight," he said, looking at his newborn son with a smile as he looked up at him, his tiny eyes wide with wonder. "I promise."

Anakin took another long, thoughtful breath, as he leaned back into the thick cushion behind him. He had ten minutes, he thought to himself, as he looked back at his son again; and he was going to make every one of them count, before Artoo brought the speeder around.

* * *

"Did you get through to him?" Shanda asked, her soft, pleasant voice laced with excitement; she stood up quickly from her chair, tossing her dusky red hair over her shoulder as she watched Obi-Wan and Owen walk quickly through the narrow doorway that led to the cellar, just below the main living area of the house.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied with a nod, tucking the encryption key Anakin had given him back into his belt as he and Owen walked into the large, round living area to join the others. Beru and Cleige both watched, from their chairs, as Obi-Wan walked over toward them, tossing his dusty brown cloak over the chair that stood near the doorway.

"He's gone back to the house, to get Padmé," he said, placing his hand on Shanda's shoulder as he came and stood beside her; he nodded toward the couch, motioning for her to sit down, and she watched him with keen interest as he took his place beside her.

"His droid's watching his transmitter," Obi-Wan said, as he leaned back against the couch with a tired sigh. "I told him we'd contact him again in a little less than an hour."

"What about Master Yoda?" Shanda asked, looking up at him worriedly as she reached up and brushed a lock of her dark red hair from her face. "Did you get in touch with him, too?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, looking back at her with a grin, as he sensed the concern, and excitement that flowed through her. "Patience, my young padawan," he said, nodding his head slowly as he placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Relax. I know you're excited, but everything's going to be fine. Be mindful of the living Force."

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," Shanda said, nodding obediently as she took a deep breath and leaned back on the sofa beside him. "I've just never been to a council meeting, before, even a holographic one," she said, looking up at him with an apologetic smile. "I guess I'm just a little excited."

"It's all right, I understand," Obi-Wan smiled, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Just try to relax, as best you can, and concentrate on your exercises."

"Remember, a Jedi must remain in control of any situation," he said, nodding his head slowly as he spoke, a sly grin on his bearded face. "No matter how exciting that situation may be."

"Yes, Master," Shanda replied again, folding her hands thoughtfully in her lap, just as Obi-Wan had a moment before. "I will."

"Obi-Wan," Beru said, leaning forward a bit in her own chair, "Do you really think that this is going to work?" she asked, her own fear and trepidation becoming readily evident as she voiced the concern that had been nagging her since he had first shared this new plan with her. "Do you really think they can do this, without the Emperor finding out?"

"I don't know, honestly," Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Master Yoda expressed his own concerns, and so did Anakin," he said, as they all listened to him intently. "But under the circumstances, I think it's the best option we've got. It's just too much to try to do by ourselves," he said, reaching up and rubbing his beard thoughtfully as he rested his elbow on the arm of the dusty-white couch. "We need their help, and they appear to need ours."

"We're putting an awful lot of trust in a bunch of people we don't really know," Owen said, his own concern showing through his usually calm demeanor. "We're taking a pretty big gamble. I hope that senator knows what she's doing."

Cleige looked around the room thoughtfully for a moment, as he sensed the tension and worry that filled the air around them. "I don't know about anyone else," he said, his gruff, yet calm voice drawing their attention to him, "but I'm thirsty. Does anyone else fancy a nice cool drink?"

"I could use one," Obi-Wan replied, looking back at Owen's normally quiet father with a grin. "My throat's still a little dusty from that ride in Andar's speeder."

"I just made a fresh batch of juice a little while ago," Beru said, standing up from her chair and looking at Shanda. "Would you mind giving me a hand with the glasses, Shanda?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shanda replied, hopping up quickly and walking over to Beru's side; Obi-Wan watched her, as she followed along behind Beru toward the small kitchen.

"She's far too agreeable, and much too calm," Obi-Wan said, looking back at Owen and Cleige with a grin. "It's going to take me a while to get used to this."

"Not quite what you're used to, eh, Obi-Wan?" Cleige chuckled, leaning back in his chair and looking down at his knee; his brow furrowed a bit, as he rubbed the place just above his knee where his prosthetic leg was fastened. "Gotten used to that stepson of mine, had you?" he asked, grinning broadly.

"It's really kind of strange," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head and sighing deeply. "Shanda's the exact opposite of Anakin, in almost every way," he said, looking back toward the kitchen thoughtfully as he listened to Shanda and Beru talking quietly among themselves as they worked.

"Anakin was impatient," he said, looking back at Owen and Cleige again. "She has more patience than any padawan her age I've ever known. Anakin couldn't control his temper, or his actions, most of the time, and I've yet to sense the slightest hint of anger or ambitiousness in her."

"Yet," Obi-Wan sighed, looking back at the kitchen again, "I sense the same strength, and potential with her that I did in Anakin all those years ago," he said, looking back at his companions with a thoughtful smile.

"Only I'm not so worried about her," he sighed, leaning back in his seat and resting his right arm on the back of the couch. "Maybe I'm just mellowing out a bit, after all these years," he said, chuckling softly to himself as he shook his head slowly. "I'm sure Anakin would say it's about time."

"Strange how two people, so different, can be so much alike, isn't it?" he grinned, turning his eyes and attention back to Owen and Cleige again.

"It's like that, with most of us," Owen grinned, nodding his head. "Beru and I are the same way, and just look at Anakin and Padmé," he said. "Have you ever seen two people so different have so much in common?"

"No," Obi-Wan chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "I can't say that I have."

"Well, Shanda's a good kid, as far as I'm concerned," Cleige said. "She's got a good heart, even an old man like me can tell that," he said, nodding his head firmly. "And she'll learn a lot from Beru."

"I want to thank all of you, again, for taking her in like you did," Obi-Wan said, turning a thankful expression to the both of them. "It wouldn't have been a very pleasant life for her, hiding in the desert with me all the time."

"Have you decided where you're going to stay, or what you're going to do, yet?" Owen asked, turning a curious, concerned face toward Obi-Wan.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied, nodding his head firmly. "Andar's given me access to an old homestead he took in as part of an equipment deal, recently," he said. "It's remote, out beyond the edges of the Dune Sea, but not so far that I won't be able to come back and help Shanda with her training, whenever she needs me."

"That's in Tusken territory," Cleige said, his brow furrowing deeply as he drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the arm of his chair. "It's going to be dangerous for you living out there, all by yourself."

"Well," Obi-Wan sighed, "Andar believes that, for the most part, it'll be easier for me to avoid the bounty hunters out there, and I have to agree with him," he said. "And that should keep from putting the rest of you, and Shanda, at risk."

"I wish we could find some other way," Owen said, shaking his head slowly as he looked back up at them.

"I know, me too," Obi-Wan said, nodding his head slowly. "But we'll just have to follow the leading of the Force on this one," he said, glancing back over his shoulder and watching as Shanda and Beru came back from the kitchen, two small trays balanced carefully in their hands as they walked. "It's the best we can do right now."

* * *

"Padmé?" Anakin called softly, as he rubbed her shoulder gently. "Come on, Angel, wake up."

Padmé blinked her eyes, very slowly for a moment, as the combination of his voice and his soft, soothing tremor gently pulled her from her dreams. He watched her, smiling softly, as she closed her eyes again and, bowing her back underneath the soft, thick blanket, she yawned deeply and stretched hard for a moment.

"Hi," she said softly, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she slowly rolled off her side and onto her back. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A couple of hours, I think," Anakin said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently as he leaned close to her. "I wanted to let you sleep, but I guess you need to wake up," he said, watching her as she suddenly opened her eyes a little wider and leaned up on her elbows, a serious, concerned look replacing the sleepy one that had been there only a second or two before.

Anakin smiled, as he felt her touch the living Force that flowed through him; Padmé had always been able to sense what he was thinking and feeling, even before that moment in Dooku's hangar. Yet her senses were getting keener now by the day, and he knew that she had already instinctively sensed that something was troubling him, even through the thick, heavy haze of sleep.

"What's wrong, Ani?" Padmé asked, raising up on her elbows a little more as he slid closer to her on the bed. "What's happened?"

"My homing device went off, a couple of hours ago," Anakin said softly, as he squeezed her hand gently. "Artoo and I went down to the shop, while you were sleeping, and checked it out," he said. "It was Obi-Wan."

"Is he okay?" Padmé asked, reaching up with her free hand and rubbing the sleep from her eyes again. "Are the children all right?"

"They're fine," he said, squeezing her hand again as he gave her a reassuring nod. "But something else has happened."

"What?" Padmé asked, her brow furrowing a bit more as she sat up and drew herself a little closer to him.

"I'll fill you in on the way to the shop," Anakin replied, reaching over and picking up the fresh, clean tunic he had retrieved from her closet for her; she took it from him, slipping her left arm through the sleeve as she pulled it up on her shoulder. "Artoo's monitoring the transmitter right now," he said. "Obi-Wan should be calling us back in about thirty minutes, so we need to hurry."

"Calling us back?" she asked, still trying to force herself to wake up as he reached over and helped her with her other sleeve. "I didn't think he wanted to contact us here, unless it was really, really important," she said, tossing the tunic up onto her shoulders as Anakin got up and walked to her closet. She glanced up from the buttons of her tunic as she fastened them, as quickly as her stiff, sleepy fingers could work, and watched him as he retrieved a fresh pair of pants for her and tossed them onto the bed beside her.

"He doesn't," Anakin replied, walking over to the bed and sitting down beside her again as he spoke; he reached down and picked up her boots, watching as she tossed the blanket off of her, and then swung her legs off the side of the bed and reached for the pants he'd brought her. "But this is really, really important."

"Is it about the children?" Padmé asked, a serious, inquisitive expression on her face as she stood up and pulled her pants up over her hips; she watched, as Anakin knelt quickly in front of her and, slipping one hand gently behind her knee to steady her, slipped her boots on her feet and quickly fastened the buckles.

"Yeah, it is," Anakin said, looking up at her with a nod as he secured the last buckle on her boots and then stood up quickly. "And, apparently, a whole lot more."

"It seems that Obi-Wan and Bail had a little run in with an old friend of yours on Tatooine earlier today," Anakin said, walking quickly to their dresser as Padmé turned and picked up her belt from the bed beside her. She slung it around her waist, securing it as quickly as she could, as he opened the drawer and retrieved his weapons from the compartment in the back.

"An old friend of _mine?_" Padmé asked, watching with a puzzled, sleepy expression as he closed the drawer and walked back across the room toward her.

"Here," Anakin said, as he held one of his sabers out to her. "We're officially on duty for the moment," he sighed. "We shouldn't need these, but better safe than sorry. I don't want to take any chances."

Padmé held out her hand, as Anakin placed the light saber into her palm; she looked up at him, watching him as he nodded at her, and then she turned her attention back to the belt at her waist as she secured the weapon at her side.

"Where are Luke and Leia?" Padmé asked, her maternal instincts suddenly kicking into high gear, as she felt herself finally begin to fully wake up.

"They're fine," Anakin replied, reaching up and rubbing her shoulder gently. "Your mom's watching them," he said, looking at her with a reassuring smile. "I told her we wouldn't be gone long and we'd probably be back in time for supper."

"Okay," she sighed, nodding her head slowly as she watched him turn his attention to his own belt. "You said they ran into an old friend of _mine?_" she asked, shaking her head slowly as she looked at him curiously. "What friend?"

"How much do you know about a senator named Mon Mothma?" Anakin asked, placing his other weapon on his own belt as he watched her look at him with shocked surprise.

"Mon Mothma?" Padmé asked quietly, a look of stunned surprise on her face. "From Chandrilla? How does she figure into all of this?"

"I don't know yet," Anakin sighed, as the two of them headed quickly toward the door of their bedroom. "But that's what we're going to find out."

* * *

"You know, it's really hard to do this with all of this wind," Padmé said, looking up at Anakin with a frustrated smirk as she tried, yet again, to fasten the elastic band in her hand around the end of her haphazardly fashioned ponytail; she sighed, laughing quietly to herself, as she finally gave up and flopped back in the seat of their speeder, watching as the wind quickly unraveled what little progress she had managed to make since they'd left the house.

"I'm sorry," Anakin apologized, as he lifted his foot off the accelerator; he laughed, as he glanced over at her. She sat there, looking at him through the haze of brown hair that covered her face, and the sarcastic smirk on it, and he slowed down even more as he watched her turn toward him and fold her arms across her chest.

He knew he had a tendency to let his love for speed get out of hand at times, especially at moments like this, when he was distracted and in a hurry; indeed, he could still hear his old mentor's voice ringing in his ears, along with the wind that whipped past them, whenever he managed to open up the throttle on a speeder or a ship from time to time.

Yet Obi-Wan's futility in trying to calm Anakin's penchant for speed and danger had only been matched by Padmé's success; she could rein him in, and calm him down, in a way that no one else every could, with nothing more than a knowing smile and a glance.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he laughed, turning his eyes back toward the road in front of him as the wind that whipped through the speeder's open cockpit began to die down considerably. "Old habits die hard, I guess. I should have been paying more attention."

"It's okay," she sighed, as she reached up and, once again, tried to get her long hair under control. "It's a shame we don't have a pod handy, though," she said, looking back up at him with a sly smile as she pulled her hair down from her shoulders and combed it out with her fingers. "We might have been just about to set a new record back there."

"Ha, ha," Anakin laughed, tossing her a sarcastic grin as he reached over and rubbed her leg affectionately. "Very funny."

"So tell me again what Obi-Wan said about Shanda?" she said, reaching up and placing the small, bright blue elastic band in her teeth as she started to work on her ponytail again.

"Well," Anakin replied, looking over at her and watching her for a moment as she plaited her thick, brown hair into a neat braid, "He wouldn't tell me everything, only that he'd taken her as his new padawan," he said, as he turned his eyes back to the road again. "He said we'd need to talk with Owen and Beru about the rest."

"Well, believe me, I intend to," Padmé said with a firm nod, as she quickly began to make better progress on her ponytail, now that Anakin had slowed the speeder down considerably. "Beru and I are long overdue for a conversation, anyway, and we've got a lot of catching up to do."

Anakin laughed quietly to himself, as he glanced back over and watched her for another moment as the road straightened out for a good distance in front of them. It pleased him, in no small fashion, to know how close Padmé and Beru had become over the past four years. Padmé had come to love her as much as her own sister, Sola, and Beru had grown just as fond of her.

"We're going to have to go to Tatooine and see them, as soon as we get the babies settled a bit," Padmé said with a nod, never taking her eyes off her fingers as she worked. "And I feel terrible that she hasn't even seen the twins yet," she said, as she quickly finished her braid and reached up to her lips; she took the bright blue band and, with a quick twist of her nimble fingers, secured her braid and looked at it with a satisfied smile.

"There," she sighed, looking back at him with a grin as she pulled her fresh, new ponytail through her hands slowly to tighten its braid. "Much better."

"I thought you'd probably want to talk to her tonight, if you go the chance," Anakin said, looking over at her with a grin as he quickly fished the small datadisc from the pocket of his tunic and handed it to her. "Here," he said, his smile widening as he watched her toss her ponytail over her shoulder and take the disc from him as a bright, excited smile spread across her face. "These are the ones you took the night we got home."

"You brought the pictures!" Padmé exclaimed, her face beaming brightly as she leaned over the center console, wrapping her arm tightly around his neck as she kissed him firmly on the cheek. "You wonderful, thoughtful man! I love you so much!"

"You're welcome," Anakin laughed, watching her as she flopped back down in her seat and squeezed the disc tightly in her hand, giggling happily. "I know we're officially on Jedi business, at the moment, but I thought we might like to show off some pictures to the rest of the family, later," he said, grinning just as brightly and proudly as she was.

"And if I didn't know better," she said, looking back at him with a wide grin as she tucked the disc securely in her pocket, "I'd say daddy wants to show off his little ones as much as mommy does."

Padmé leaned back in her seat, looking at him fondly as he reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. "You better believe I do," he said, looking back at her with a grin as they wound their way through the narrow, tree-lined roadway that led to Venecia's business district. "Two of the most beautiful children in the galaxy," he said, as he turned his eyes back toward the road again. "Almost as beautiful as their mother."

"You're so sweet," Padmé said, resting her head against the seat behind her as she looked at him fondly for a long moment; she took a long, deep breath, sighing deeply as she looked up and watched the stars for a moment, as they twinkled brightly in Naboo's silky black sky.

"You know," she sighed, looking up at the stars thoughtfully and squeezing his hand tightly, "It's been a long time since the two of us have been out for a speeder ride at night like this."

"Do you remember the last time we did?" Padmé asked, turning a little more toward him in her seat as she placed his hand in her lap.

"Let's see," Anakin said, closing one eye thoughtfully as he laced his fingers in hers. "It was about six months ago, wasn't it?" he said, looking back at her with a grin.

"Uh, huh," Padmé nodded, grinning widely as she started to laugh softly. "Right about the time speeder rides started to make me sick."

"Then I _definitely _remember," Anakin laughed, as he glanced over at her and squeezed her hand tightly. "And I still think it was the Andarian pasta we had for dinner that night that made you sick," he said, his eyes twinkling brightly as she laughed back at him.

"Oh, don't remind me about that," Padmé laughed, sticking her tongue out playfully as she looked out at the buildings, as they started to make their way into the city's heart. "I haven't been able to eat any since," she said, shaking her head firmly.

"And if Sola's right," Anakin said with a grin, "Luke and Leia will never want to eat it again, either."

Padmé smiled back at him, laughing quietly to herself; she turned her attention back to the street in front of them, as Anakin rounded the corner quickly, and closed the last several dozen meters to their shop. She reached down, instinctively taking hold of the handle at her side, steadying herself as Anakin quickly deployed the landing pods, and brought them to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the shop.

She watched him, shaking her head with amazement, as he grabbed hold of the windscreen's edge above him and, with one quick, fluid movement, bolted straight up out of the seat, neatly clearing the speeder's doorway.

"I don't see how in the world you do that," she said, looking back at him with an awestruck grin as he turned and looked back at her, just as his boots landed on the hard sidewalk, his light saber swinging gracefully at his side, it's smoothly polished handle glinting brightly in the light of the nearby streetlight.

"Well, maybe it's time you learned," he said, walking around to her side of the speeder and tossing her a sly grin. "Force jumping's next on your list, anyway," he said, watching her as she looked up at him with an apprehensive smile from her seat as he stepped up next to the door beside her.

"Uh-uh," Padmé laughed, shaking her head slowly as he reached down and took her left hand in his. "There's no way I'm ready for that yet."

"Yes you are," Anakin said, looking back at her with a smile as he placed her hand on the windscreen's railing above her. "You just don't _think _you are."

"The Force doesn't choose to give you one ability, and deprive you of another," Anakin said softly, shaking his head slowly as he placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Just this morning, you didn't think you could use it to control your weapon," he said, grinning at her as she took a deep breath and sighed deeply. "But you did."

"Master Yoda once told me," Anakin said, folding his arms and resting his chin on them as he leaned down against the door's edge beside her, "that the hardest thing to do is unlearn the things we've already learned," he said, looking back into her eyes as she listened to him intently. "To accept the fact that what we _thought _was right, really wasn't."

"Once you learn to do that," he said, nodding his head reassuringly, "the first thing you'll learn is not to doubt yourself," he said, as he reached over and squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

Padmé smiled, as she felt him stretch out to her with his feelings, and she took another long, deep breath as she heard the words that his heart spoke silently to hers.

_Don't doubt yourself, Padmé. Because I sure don't._

"Are you sure I'm ready to try this?" Padmé asked softly, as she looked up at him. "How do you know I won't fall, and break something?" she said, looking down at the hard concrete below them.

"Since when did falling ever frighten you?" Anakin chuckled, watching her as she smiled back at him. "How high up were you, on that building ledge all those years ago, when you used that ascension gun during the Trade Federation invasion?"

"I don't know," she laughed softly, shaking her head slowly as she reached up and brushed her bangs from her eyes nervously. "Eight, nine hundred feet, I guess?"

"Mm,hmm," Anakin mused, grinning at her slyly as he glanced down at the sidewalk beside them. "And this is a challenge for you, because…?"

"It's not that," Padmé laughed, shaking her head slowly as she looked back up at him. "Things were different then," she said softly, as she looked back down at her hands thoughtfully for a moment. "I didn't have so much to…"

Anakin's expression softened, as he suddenly sensed the fear, and the vulnerability, that flowed through her heart. He wasn't quite sure _how _she had kept it hidden from him, but there it was, and it surprised him, almost as much as he could sense it had her, as she had let it slip through.

Anakin reached over and placed his hand gently on her cheek. "What is it, baby?" he asked, very softly, as he watched her close her eyes and take another long, deep breath, as she hung her head and sat quietly for a moment.

"Come on, baby," he said, stroking her cheek gently as he felt her trembling, softly, as she looked back up at him; he could see her eyes glistening brightly in the soft light of the nearby street light.

"I didn't have so much to lose," she whispered, shaking her head slowly as he reached down and took her hand tightly in his. "I'm scared, Ani. I know that I'm not supposed to be, but I'm… I'm so scared."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," he said softly, watching her as she closed her eyes and pressed her cheek closer to his fingers. "What are you scared of?"

"I was so afraid, when all of this began, the night you left with Obi-Wan, that I was going to lose you," she whispered, her eyes glistening from the tears that stood in them as she spoke. "And I almost did," she said, shaking her head slowly as she watched him stand up, and sit down on the edge of the door beside her as she spoke.

"And I was so scared, when the babies came so early," she said quietly. "I was so afraid we were going to lose them, too."

"I was so relieved, that night we were all finally together again on Deyer," she whispered, reaching up and wiping away a tear from her eye, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I made myself a promise that I'd never let us be separated like that, again."

"And then Master Yoda told me, when he came to see me that day," she whispered, shaking her head slowly, "that it was going to be up to me to save you someday," she said, turning her glistening eyes back up to him again. "That your life, and the lives of our children, would be in my hands."

"What if I fail?" she whispered, squeezing his hand tightly as she gazed up at him through a haze of tears. "What if I lose you, or one of the children, someday, and it's because I failed?"

Anakin felt his own heart aching, as he reached up with his thumb and wiped away the tear that trickled slowly down her cheek. "I almost lost you once," she whispered, shaking her head slowly. "I couldn't bear to lose you again, especially not because of something I did, or didn't do."

Anakin shook his head slowly, smiling at her warmly as he gently brushed away the tear that stood on her cheek; he leaned down, without speaking a word, and kissed her gently on the cheek for a long moment.

Padmé closed her eyes, turning her face toward him, as she reached up and slipped her hand behind his neck; she pressed her lips to his, kissing him tenderly, as he brushed his hand gently along her cheek as they shared a long, passionate kiss, with nothing but the soft sound of the field crickets from the nearby park filling the cool, evening air around them.

"Padmé," Anakin whispered, looking deeply into her eyes as their lips finally parted, "Did Master Yoda tell you what he told Obi-Wan, about me?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head slowly as she sniffed again and wiped her eyes gently with her hand. "I mean, not really," she said. "He just said something about me having saved you, once before, but I don't know what he was talking about."

"I don't know how I know this," Anakin sighed, looking at her fondly as he gently caressed her cheek, "but I know that something happened, that night in that tent on Tatooine, all those years ago."

"And, more importantly," he said, smiling at her softly as she looked up at him, "something _didn't _happen."

"Master Yoda knows it, too," he said, watching her as she listened intently to him. "And he's right," he said, gazing at her fondly as she looked up at him with a puzzled, worried expression. "You did save my life, once already. That night in that tent."

"Anakin," Padmé replied, shaking her head as she smiled weakly at him, "I know there were a lot of Tuskens in that camp that night, but you're a very powerful Jedi. Even if they'd all attacked you at once, you still could have…"

"That's not what I mean," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "If it hadn't been for you," he said softly, "I _would _have."

"I know we haven't talked much about the Dark Side, yet," Anakin said, shaking his head as he looked back at her, his expression growing deeply serious as he squeezed her hand tightly. "But we will," he said, nodding his head slowly as he spoke. "Because it's something that you're going to have to face, as part of your training."

"To be honest, I don't like to talk about it, and I _really _don't like the thought of you having to confront it someday," he said, looking back down at their clasped hands as he spoke. "And I know it's because of how close I came to it that night."

Padmé gazed up at him, her own heart aching as she saw the pained look that spread slowly across his face as he shifted his thoughts to the events of only a few days before. "Those people in the Temple," he said softly, turning his eyes downward as he spoke, "they all died thinking that I was the one who killed them," he said, turning his troubled eyes back up to hers again, as he felt her squeeze his hand tightly.

"If it hadn't been for you," he said softly, "They would have been right."

"Don't ask me how I know that," Anakin whispered, pressing his finger gently to her lips as she started to speak. "You'll just have to trust me, that it's true," he said, gazing at her fondly as she gazed up at him.

"Believe in yourself, baby," Anakin said, nodding as he saw her own smile begin to return. "I know I sure do."

Anakin smiled, as he suddenly remembered what it was she had told him that day on their ship, on Geonosis, just before they went looking for Obi-Wan. "You're my source of strength, Padmé," he said, as he took her hand in his again and gazed at her fondly. "Let me be yours."

Padmé smiled up at him, as she heard him repeat what she had told him that day. "I love you," she said, squeezing his hand tightly in hers, as she felt his reassuring tremor in her heart.

"I love you," he said, nodding his head slowly as he smiled softly at her. "And I trust you with my life," he said, lifting her hand to his face and kissing it softly. "It couldn't be in safer hands."

Padmé felt the fear, and the doubt, begin to subside, and she took another deep breath, as Anakin reached over and rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "So," he said, turning a sly grin to her as she looked up at him, "I know this isn't much of a challenge, for the former queen who successfully repelled the Trade Federation invasion, but are you ready to give it a try?"

"Or would you rather we go find a couple of ascension guns and scale a building somewhere?" he asked, laughing softly as he brushed his hand gently through the hair that hung above her eyes.

"No, I think we'll just stick with this for tonight," Padmé laughed softly, glancing up at him with a smile as she reached up and wiped her eyes again. "So what do I do?" she said, taking another deep breath as she reached up and placed her hand on the windscreen's railing above her.

"Close your eyes," he said, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly and watching her as she did so. "And just anchor your feet down, flat, in the floorboard there."

"Okay," she said, nodding her head slowly as she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, just as he'd shown her earlier in the day at saber practice. "What next?"

Anakin smiled, as he felt her begin to calm down, as she reached into the living Force that flowed through her. "Now just relax," he said, nodding his head slowly as he watched her breath, very calmly and smoothly. "Just visualize yourself hopping straight up out of the car, just like I did."

"Remember," he said, as he continued to rub her shoulder gently, "the Force controls your actions, but it also obeys your commands," he said, watching her as she nodded her head slowly. "When you're ready, just reach into the Force, tell it what you want to do, and do it."

"Just like that, huh?" Padmé smiled, shaking her head slowly as she opened one eye and looked at him.

"Yep," Anakin grinned. "Remember, you only _think _it's hard. The trick is, you have to believe the truth," he said. "That it's not."

"Okay," Padmé said, nodding her head again, as she closed her eyes and took another long breath. Anakin watched her, as she tightened her grip on the railing above her, and sat there quietly for a long moment, her eyes closed, as she focused her thoughts and attention on the Force that flowed through her.

Anakin smiled, as he felt her come more and more in contact with the living Force; he stepped back from the speeder a bit, very quietly, watching her intently as she sat in the speeder, her eyes closed tightly as she gripped the railing above her head.

Suddenly, with a speed and fluidity not much different from his own, Padmé opened her eyes and tugged on the railing above her, as hard as she could.

The sensation of the power of the Force that flowed through her was amazing; she took a quick, deep breath, as she felt the strange, tingling sensation flow through her body, as the living Force obeyed her command. She suddenly felt as light as a feather, and she looked down, with complete amazement, as she seemed to moved in slow motion into the air above the speeder.

Anakin burst out laughing as she suddenly shot up out of the seat where she had been sitting as quickly as he had from his own; he could see the look of amazement, and trepidation, on her astonished face, as she cleared the side of the speeder by a good meter and a half, and then started back down to the ground toward him.

He leapt forward, watching her wave her arms as she struggled to keep herself upright and, stepping quickly beneath her, he stretched out his arms as she dropped safely into them.

"Gotcha!" he laughed, taking a step back and clutching her close to him as she flung her arms tightly around his neck as he caught her. He looked at her, and he started to laugh even harder as she began to laugh, between short, quick breaths, as she clung to him tightly.

"See?" he laughed, looking at her astonished, but smiling, face, as she hugged him tightly. "Toldya you could do it, didn't I?"

"I'm… I'm not really sure how… how good that was," Padmé stammered between breaths, still utterly amazed at the sense of power that had flowed through her as, for that brief moment, she had instructed the Force to do her bidding. "But that… that was… amazing," she said, looking up at Anakin with a bright, astonished smile as he held her securely in his arms.

You did great," Anakin laughed, beaming brightly at her, as he lowered her gently to the ground, steadying her as she regained her balance. "Kind of a rush," he chuckled, looking at her astonished face, her breath still coming in short gasps. "Isn't it?"

"That was… incredible," she laughed, looking up at him with a glowing smile as she took his hands and squeezed them tightly. "Does it… does it always feel like that?"

"Pretty much," Anakin grinned, nodding his head slowly. "Liked that, did you?"

"I want to do that again," Padmé said, as she started to giggle as the amazing sensation began to slowly fade. "That was absolutely amazing!"

"Okay," Anakin grinned, squeezing her hand tightly as he leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. "We can try again, when we get home, if you want."

"We just need to work on that landing, though," he said, turning a sly smile to her as they started toward the door of the shop.

"Who cares about landing?" Padmé giggled, wrapping her arm around his as she squeezed his hand tightly. "You can just catch me again."

"Come on," Anakin grinned, laughing quietly to himself as he looked down at her beaming face. "Obi-Wan should be calling any minute."

They made their way through the soft glow of the street lamp, laughing quietly to themselves, and into their workshop, where Artoo was waiting for them.

* * *

Anakin looked up, as Padmé tapped him gently on the shoulder; he reached up, taking the cup she offered him from her with a smile, and then turned his attention back to the two holopads in front of them as she sat down quietly next to him again.

"So let me make sure I understand all this," Anakin said, watching as Obi-Wan and Yoda's images both flickered on the holopads in front of them. "Andar will be keeping the children, until we can get them to the Jedi that will be resuming their training, correct?"

"_That's correct," _Obi-Wan said, as their image flickered again. "_As soon as you believe you've located any of the Jedi we're looking for, you're to relay that information to Shanda, here, on Tatooine."_

"_I'll be checking in, at least every week, for Shanda's exercises," _Obi-Wan said; Anakin and Padmé both turned their attention to Shanda for a moment, and they both exchanged a smile as they saw the look of excitement and anticipation on her young face. "_I'll get the information from her, relay it to Andar, and Mon Mothma and Bail will arrange transportation, and a drop off point for each of the children."_

Anakin and Padmé both turned their attention to the adjacent holopad, as they heard Yoda suddenly speak. _"Great care we must take, Obi-Wan," _he said, his small, green face bearing a deeply serious countenance. "_If detects any of our communication with Anakin and Padmé, Sidious does, then alerted he will be, to their presence," _he said, turning his attention back to the both of them. "_And their younglings."_

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen, Master Yoda," Anakin said, watching as the tiny Jedi master listened to him intently. "I've just send Obi-Wan a new series of encryption keys," he said, reaching down and tapping the control pad in front of him, pulling up the key codes so he could see them.

Padmé looked at him, smiling proudly, as she watched him explain the keys he had created for them. "Each key has a progressive algorithm," he said, looking at the display intently as the long, complex codes began to scroll by quickly. "Each key should be good for at least a week, and we'll recycle the keys and replace them each time we talk," he said, turning his attention back to Yoda again.

"I had Artoo test the algorithms every way possible," he said, looking back at his little droid with a grin. "As long as we change them out every week, we shouldn't run into any problems."

"_Very well," _Yoda said, nodding his head slowly. "_Provided these keys to Senator Organa, and Andar Gandh, have you?"_

"_I have them now, Master," _Obi-Wan replied, his image flickering again as he picked up the small datadisc and showed it to them. "_I'll deliver them first thing in the morning."_

"_Very well," _Yoda said again, nodding his head as he rested his hands on his small cane. "_Advise Senator Mothma, and Senator Organa, that agree with you, the new Council does," _he said, as he leaned back further in the small chair of the tiny ship he was broadcasting from. "_Accept her Alliance, and her proposal, we do."_

Anakin and Padmé both smiled at each other, as they both realized the significance of what was happening; Padmé squeezed his hand tightly, as they suddenly heard Yoda speak again.

"_Proceeding with your training, are you, Padmé?" _Yoda asked, as his image flickered again on the holopad.

"Yes, Master Yoda," Padmé replied, nodding her head respectfully as she spoke. "Anakin started me on my weapons training, and a few other things, today," she said, glancing back at her husband as he grinned back at her.

"_Very good," _Yoda replied, nodding his head firmly as he turned his cane over slowly in his hands. "_Instruct you well, he will," _Yoda said, looking at Anakin, his long ears waving as he turned his head toward him slowly. "_Just as Obi-Wan instructed him."_

"_Mind your mentor, as well, young Shanda," _Yoda said, turning his attention toward the young girl who sat quietly at Obi-Wan's side. "_Learn much, you can, from Master Obi-Wan," _he said, watching her as she listened intently to him. "_Just as Anakin did."_

"_I will, Master Yoda," _Shanda replied, nodding her head obediently. _"I promise."_

They all watched, as Yoda looked at them thoughtfully for a long moment. "_All that remains of the Jedi, we few may be," _he said, his expression growing deeply thoughtful. "_Yet, powerful indeed, are those that remain," _he said, looking back up at them all quietly for a moment.

"_Hope there is," _he said, nodding his head slowly as he took a deep breath and sighed deeply, looking back at Padmé with a smile. "_Learned that much, even at my age, I have."_

"_Awaiting your call, I will be, Anakin," _Yoda said, turning his attention toward him again. "_See the both of you, I will, as soon as Padmé is ready to face her trial."_

"Yes, Master Yoda," Anakin replied with a nod. "I'll contact you as soon as she's ready," he said, looking back at Padmé proudly as she sat beside him. "I promise."

"_Very well," _Yoda replied, nodding his head as he reached over toward the console in front of him. "_Guard your younglings well, the two of you," _he said. "_And each other."_

Anakin looked back at Padmé, as he suddenly sensed the wave of determination and resolve that flowed through her. "We will, Master Yoda," she said, nodding her head firmly as she looked up at his image on the holopad. "We will."

"_Long enough, we have talked for one evening, then," _Yoda replied, as his image flicked again. "_Risky, it will be, to attempt to much longer."_

"_Guard yourselves well," _he said, nodding his head slowly as he reached out toward the console in front of him. "_And may the Force be with all of you."_

They all watched, as Yoda's image suddenly flickered, and disappeared from the tiny holopad.

"_I should probably be going too, Anakin," _Obi-Wan said, leaning a little closer to the holographic transmitter as he spoke. "_I need to get these keys to Bail and Senator Mothma as quickly as possible, and let her know of our decision."_

"_Congratulations, by the way," _Obi-Wan said, looking up at his old padawan with a grin. "_I believe this officially makes you the youngest member ever to serve on the Council in the history of the Order."_

"Well, there's only three of us left, Master," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly as he smiled weakly at him. "Master Yoda didn't really have a whole of options to choose from."

"Don't listen to him, Master Kenobi," Padmé said, looking at him proudly as she squeezed his arm tightly. "I can't think of anyone better suited than Anakin."

"_Listen to your wife, Anakin," _Obi-Wan said with grin, as his image flickered again. "_She's always been a good judge of character, better than any I've ever known."_

"_Good luck, you two," _Obi-Wan said, pausing for a moment as he looked back at the both of them. "_Take care of yourselves, and those little ones. Understood?"_

"Understood, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head firmly. "You do the same, and keep in touch."

"_I will," _Obi-Wan nodded. "_I'm going to go," _he said, as he reached down and picked up the datadisc with the codes Anakin had given him. "_Be careful, Anakin, and may the Force be with you."_

"May the Force be with you, Master," Anakin said, and he and Padmé both watched as he smiled at them, one last time, and then stood up and walked out of view of the holopad.

Anakin grinned again, as he saw Beru suddenly sit down beside Shanda, in the seat where Obi-Wan had been sitting. "I think I'll turn this over to you," Anakin said, looking over at Padmé as he reached down and handed the small datadisc that lay on the table in front of them to her.

Padmé grinned back at him, as he kissed her gently on the cheek, and she watched him for a moment as he stood up and walked across the shop to where Artoo was working.

"_So," _Beru said, her own face beaming as Padmé turn her attention toward her. "_Anakin said you had pictures," _she said, reaching down and tapping the control pad in front of her as Shanda leaned forward beside her.

"I do, indeed," Padmé said, her own face beaming brightly as she popped the disc into the slot in front of her and quickly keyed the transmitter, turning her face back up toward the holopad in front of her. "And I hear you two have some news to share with us, too, don't you, Shanda?"

"_Yes, ma'am,"_ Shanda said, looking back at Beru with a grin as her image flickered again on the small holopad. "We sure do."

* * *

Governor Tarkin turned and watched, as the doors to the _Interceptor's _bridge slid open quickly; he felt the lump begin to rise in his throat, the same one he felt every time he saw the dark, terrifying visage that stepped through the door and onto the Imperial flagship's bridge.

He watched, more than a little nervously, as Darth Vader's tall, foreboding form strode across the command deck toward them, his long, dark cloak swirling around his boots as they echoed loudly through the command deck.

Darth Sidious turned around slowly, as he stood next to Governor Tarkin near the forward deck's main viewing platform; he smiled, quite coldly, from beneath his thick, hooded robe, as he watched his dark, sinister apprentice approach them quickly, his own dark cloak swaying around his boots as he walked.

"Ah, Lord Vader," he said, his smile widening as he watched his apprentice approach, and then bow reverently before him. "You're right on time."

"I trust you've made progress, in your search for Master Kenobi?" Sidious asked, watching as Vader came and stood close beside him.

"Not as much as I'd hoped," Vader replied, his tone dark and angry, as he placed his hands on the belt at his waist, his slow, rhythmic breathing echoing through the command deck around them as he spoke. "But he can't hide, forever," he said, turning his dark, helmeted face toward his master. "It's only a matter of time before I find him."

"Patience, Lord Vader," Darth Sidious replied, nodding his hooded head slowly, as he turned his gaze back toward the viewing window before them. "You will find him, in time," he said, reaching into his robes and producing a small, round holographic disc, which he held out in front of them.

"Besides," Sidious said, laughing coldly under his breath as he turned his evil smile back toward his dark apprentice, "We have more important matters to attend to, at the moment."

He watched, as Vader and Tarkin both turned their attention to the tiny device as it began to hum; slowly, a bright red, glowing orb began to turn slowly over the small device, the concave dish on one side readily visible on the tiny holographic image.

Darth Vader looked out of the window off the command deck, his slow rhythmic breathing echoing around them, as they watched the construction ships that milled about the massive, round, skeletal structure that hung in space a short distance from the _Interceptor's _bow, like angry hornets around a freshly disturbed nest.

"How long until it's ready for testing?" Vader asked, turning his attention back to his dark master again.

"We estimate that the structure itself should be ready for tests in about twenty-four months," Governor Tarkin replied, looking back out at the massive structure beginning to take shape in space before them. "The weapons systems could require significantly more development time," he said, turning his eyes back toward Vader and his Emperor again.

"But once it is complete," he said, looking back out at the structure with a sadistic smile, "it will be the single most powerful, destructive force in the universe."

They all looked out of the command deck, standing there in silence, as they watched the Death Star begin to take shape. Time, Vader thought to himself, as he felt another wave of hatred beginning to well up inside of him, could not move fast enough.

* * *

Anakin stood quietly near the garden wall; he looked up, his eyes scanning the dark, brilliant night sky, as he leaned back against the cool, hard stone and stuck his hands deeply in his pockets.

He didn't know what it was that he sensed, as he scanned the thousands of stars with his eyes; yet, whatever it was, he found himself a little on edge, as he sensed the faint, dark tremor that traveled to him through the Force.

He recognized the tremor, though he tried to put out of his mind what he knew to be true; it was the same, dark tremor he had sensed that night on Deyer, when he had been ripped from his peaceful dreams by the dark, terrible wave of rage and despair that reverberated through the living Force. Yet now, as he sensed what he knew to be the nightmare that he had faced onboard the _Imperial Hand, _he instinctively tried to push it away, to quell the tremor inside him, more out of fear than anything else.

It was the uncertainty that disturbed him so much, as he closed his eyes and pushed the dark tremor away, trying with all of his might to bury that thread of fear and anger that burned inside of him at what Dooku had done to him, with that vial of blood he had taken that day on Geonosis. Even Dooku himself had realized the horrible error of what he had done, and Anakin could still see the look of remorse and regret in his eyes, as he looked up at him, just before the dark creation he had given birth to, with the help of the cloners of Kamino, had struck him down.

It wasn't a fear for his own safety, or even for Obi-Wan's; no, what ate at him now, as he struggled to push that fear and anger down inside himself, was the fear that Vader might somehow be able to sense him, as well. It was a fear that unnerved him, like no other ever had, as he turned and looked back at the house, watching the shadows that moved behind the soft light of the windows.

He understood, painfully well, the fear that Padmé had expressed to him tonight, as she sat in that speeder; indeed, he was wrestling with his own demon now, the terrible fear that someday, somehow, some harm might befall her, or Luke, or Leia, because of something he might do, or fail to do.

Anakin opened his eyes again, sighing deeply, as he looked up at the stars above him again. He traced the trail of stars that he knew so well, until he saw the small, brightly shining one just above the eastern horizon. He sighed again, rustling his hands through his pockets, as he looked up at that star; he knew full well, that Master Yoda himself was on that star's only planet, a small, green world teaming with life, yet he wished, with all of his heart, that he weren't so far away.

He wished that he could contact Master Yoda, and tell him about what he was feeling, share his worries and fears with him. He knew, though, that was out of the question; they had risked enough, earlier, when they had put together their impromptu Council meeting to discuss Mon Mothma's proposal. He couldn't risk contacting Yoda again. No, he thought to himself, as he sighed deeply; as bad as he hated it, he knew in his heart that he was going to have to figure this one out on his own.

Maybe that was one of the things that troubled him, he thought to himself, as he looked back up at the stars in the heavens again. Things had changed so much, since this ordeal had begun, and he realized, now, that he could no longer rely on his old mentor, or the other members of the Council, like Master Yoda, for advise. Those safety nets were gone now, and he realized, only too well, that for the first time in his life, he was flying solo.

He was a Jedi Knight now, one of the few that might remain throughout the galaxy, and he knew all too well that he, like those that remained, would always be a target of Palpatine's terrible new regime. He smiled to himself, as he remembered how he had dreamed, when he was a child, of how he would walk through the streets of his home town on Tatooine some day, his weapon displayed at his side, and how proudly he would declare to them that he was, in fact, a Jedi Knight, one of the most feared, and respected, guardians of peace and justice the galaxy had ever known.

Somehow, though, what he had become now meant so much more to him; he knew, in his heart, that he would, quite likely, never be able to openly declare to anyone again that he was a Jedi. It was a title, and a responsibility, that he would now have to bear in secret, as he worked, along with the few that remained, to undo the evil that Palpatine had done.

He walked slowly across the garden, letting his eyes scan the sea of flowers that lay before him, as he made his way closer to the window of their bedroom. He stopped, just as he reached it, and leaned back against the garden wall again; he smiled again, as he heard Padmé's soft, soothing voice from just beyond the curtains on the other side of the glass. She was singing, very softly, and he knew that she was right where he had left her a few moments before, rocking her newborn son gently in her arms, and that Leia was asleep beside her, safe in her crib, with her mother's beautiful, loving eyes watching over her.

He took another long, thoughtful breath, as he listened quietly to his wife's sweet, soothing voice, as she lulled their son to sleep. He knew that, with time and training, Padmé would become all that the Force intended for her to be. What comforted him, as he thought of the challenge and danger that lay ahead for them, was the knowledge that she would reach that goal with his help, just as he had become what the Force truly intended him to be with hers. She was his source of strength, just as he was hers, and it was that knowledge that gave him the strength he needed to face the fears that dogged him.

Yet, beneath those fears, lay something that he felt far more comfortable with; he took another deep breath, leaning back a bit farther against the cool, stone wall of his family's garden, as he looked up at the crystal clear sky.

He smiled, as he watched several wispy, thin clouds streak slowly across the massive, dark expanse above him, shimmering like silver in the light of Naboo's moon. He closed his eyes for a moment, as he remembered another crystal clear night, just like this one, on the dusty, dry planet he had called home for most of his young life.

It was a memory that he had resisted, on so many occasions before; yet now, for some reason that he didn't really, completely understand, he found that memory strangely comforting, as he allowed himself to relive that moment that he had tried for so long to forget.

The sky had looked much the same, that night, when he and Padmé had gone looking for his mother, though the two worlds were thousands of light years apart. He smiled, as he remembered how his mother used to call him outside, late at night, after the dust filled evening skies had finally cleared.

"_Ani," Shmi called, from her place on the patio behind their modest home, "Put down those tools and come out here for a minute, okay?"_

"_Awe, Mom," Anakin said, rolling his bright, young eyes and dropping the tool in his hand onto the small workbench in his room as he flopped back in his chair. "Do I have to?"_

"_Yes, you do," Shmi called again. "You need to come out here and see this."_

"_Okay," Anakin groaned, and, sighing deeply, he switched off the light above his small desk, and then shuffled slowly through the house and out on the patio to where his mother waited for him._

"_You've been in there all evening," Shmi said with a smile, placing her arm around his shoulders and hugging him tightly as he walked up next to her. "Don't you get enough of that stuff every day at the shop with Watto?"_

"_It's different, here," Anakin said, looking up at her with a disgusted smile, as she tussled his hair playfully. "I get to do what I want here, instead of what HE wants me to do."_

"_Well, you need to learn how to appreciate something besides machines," she said with a smile, as she looked up and gestured to the beautiful, starlit sky above them. "Isn't this beautiful?" she said, looking back at him as he looked up at the heavens above them. "I've counted four shooting stars, in just the past few minutes."_

"_Yeah, it's okay," Anakin said, shrugging his shoulders as he looked up at the sky above them._

"_Okay?" Shmi said, looking at him with a sarcastic smile. "Ani, it's beautiful," she said, turning and picking him up, and sitting him down on the wall in front of her. "Do you realize that some people never get to see a sky like this?"_

"_I know," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly and sighing deeply. "I've just got so much other stuff I need to do," he said, looking back at her with an apologetic smile. "I'm busy."_

_Shmi shook her head, smiling at him warmly, as she ran her fingers through his hair and caressed his cheek for a quiet moment. "You're always busy, Ani," she said softly, as she pinched his cheek playfully. "You need to learn how to slow down, and not be so busy all the time."_

"_The world is full of wonderful, beautiful things," she said, looking back up at the sky thoughtfully. "Things that you can't build, or buy in a shop."_

"_I don't want you to miss out on those things, because you're too busy," she said, looking back at him again. "Slow down a little," she said, nodding her head slowly at him as she watched him sigh again, and then look up at the sky above them. "Learn to appreciate the simpler things in life," she said, her smile widening as he smiled back at her. "Not just the ones you can work on."_

Anakin smiled, as he folded his arms tightly across his chest and looked at his mother-in-law's garden around him; even in the soft moonlight, the silent colors of the flowers shone like colorful jewels, waving softly in the evening breeze. He looked up at the sky again, and he closed his eyes as he suddenly heard, for the first time this evening, the soft symphony of the field crickets in the meadow below, as they mingled with the soft sound of the river as it flowed lazily by them.

"I guess I finally learned how to slow down, huh, Mom?" he said quietly, as he opened his eyes and looked up at the stars above him again. "And you were right," he said, his eyes glistening in the bright moonlight as he smiled up at the brilliant points of light that covered the dark sky. "It really is beautiful."

He realized, now, for the first time in his life, what it was that caused him to feel so different, what it was that had finally calmed that restless, anxious part of him. He closed his eyes again, as his thoughts drifted back to that night in that tent, when he had held his mother's dying body in his arms, and of that single, solitary sentence she had uttered, as she looked at him with a contented smile.

_Now I am complete._

Anakin shook his head slowly, as he looked up through a haze of tears toward the sky again; he understood, now, for the first time since that terrible night, what his mother had meant, and the simple lesson she had tried to teach him from the day that he was born.

"I know what you meant now, Mom," Anakin said softly, as he reached up and wiped his eyes with his hand. "For the first time in my life, I know what you meant."

"And I am, too," he sighed, looking back up at the sky as he stretched out with his feelings toward her. "I hope you know that, and that you're proud of me," he said, his voice catching in his throat as he remembered how proudly she had looked at him, the day he had won that pod race on Tatooine, and taken his first step into his future.

He was complete. And he knew, in his heart, what and who it was that truly mattered to him now. He would see that Palpatine's evil was undone. And they would do it together, hand in hand, just as they had faced every obstacle before.

Anakin looked back over his shoulder toward the house, as he heard the tell-tale squeak of the springs on the kitchen door. He smiled, reaching up and wiping his eyes again, as he heard her soft voice call to him.

"Ani?" Padmé called, as she stepped out onto the stoop, closing the door behind her. "Are you out here?"

"Over here," Anakin called; the evening air was getting quite cool, and he watched her, as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself and walked slowly toward him.

"What are you doing out here?" Padmé asked, looking up at him with a smile as she came and stood close beside him. "It's freezing out here."

"I just came out to think for a minute," Anakin said, placing his arm over her shoulder and pulling her close to him. "I had a few things on my mind tonight."

"What were you thinking about?" she asked, as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, just about everything that's happened," Anakin sighed, looking down at her fondly.

Padmé's expression softened a bit, as she saw the tears that stood in his eyes as he looked at her. "What's wrong, Ani?" she said softly, reaching up and brushing her fingers gently through his long, blonde hair. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Anakin said, as he reached up and wiped his eyes on his sleeve again. "I was just thinking about Mom for a minute," he said softly, as he looked down at her with a smile again.

Padmé felt her heart begin to ache, as she looked up at him fondly. "You still miss her, don't you?" Padmé said softly, reaching up and brushing away the small tear that stood on his cheek.

"I always will," he said, nodding his head slowly. "But it wasn't really that tonight," he said, shaking his head slowly as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I just hope she's proud of me," he said softly, as he looked back up toward the sky again.

Padmé smiled up at him, as she reached up and gently turned his face back toward her again. "Rest assured, Ani," she whispered, smiling up at him brightly as she nodded her head slowly. "She knows what you've become," she said, brushing her fingers lightly over his cheek. "And I know she's very, very proud of you."

"I hope so," he said, nodding his head slowly. "And I guess I'm just a little worried, too, about what going to happen next."

"Everything's going to be just fine," Padmé sighed, looking up at him fondly as she rested her chin on his chest. "Now don't you tell me _you're _getting scared, now," she said, grinning up at him slyly. "Not after that pep talk you gave me earlier tonight."

"Well, maybe just a little," Anakin sighed again, as he hugged her a little tighter.

"I'm not worried," Padmé said, shaking her head as she wrapped her arms around him a little tighter. "Not any more."

"How come?" Anakin asked, smiling down at her softly as he held her tightly in his arms.

"Because I know that, whatever happens, we're going to be together," she said softly, as she rested her cheek gently against his chest. "All of us."

"Speaking of 'all of us'," Anakin grinned, rubbing her shoulders gently as she clung tightly to him, "Are they both asleep?"

"No, they're not," Padmé replied, looking up at him fondly. "That's what I came out here to find you for," she said with a grin. "I thought you might want to come in and spend some time with your family. Some real, quiet time, for a change."

Padmé closed her eyes, as Anakin leaned down and kissed her, very tenderly, for a long moment; she took a long, deep breath, sighing deeply, as she opened her eyes slowly and smiled up at him.

"I can't think of _anything _I'd rather do," Anakin said, smiling down at her fondly as he ran his fingers gently through her long, brown hair.

He looked at her, very quietly, for a long moment; it seemed like an eternity since he'd seen her dressed as she was now, her hair falling in loose, thick waves around the shoulders of her soft, blue satin gown.

"What is it?" Padmé asked softly, watching him as he gazed quietly at her in the soft moonlight as he held her close in his arms.

"I don't know," Anakin said, smiling at her softly as he held her a little tighter. "I was just looking at how beautiful you are, I guess."

Anakin laughed, as he suddenly felt her shiver, quite violently, in his arms. "Well, let's go inside, and let you look at me in there," she said, taking a step or two toward the house and tugging on his arm playfully. "I'm freezing!"

Padmé laughed out loud, as he leaned back and, giving her a good, strong pull, snatched her back into his arms; she closed her eyes, giggling happily, as she felt him press his lips tightly to hers. She sighed, very deeply, as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and she felt her heart begin to pound in her chest, as his lips moved slowly and passionately over her own.

She took another deep breath, opening her eyes slowly as she smiled up at him. "Wow," she grinned, laughing softly as she looked up into his bright, blue eyes. "That was amazing."

"So tell me," he said, looking back at her with a smile as she snuggled down contentedly in his arms. "Remember when you told me you were a little tired, earlier?"

"Yes?" Padmé replied, her eyes twinkling as she smiled mischievously up at him.

"How're you feeling now?" he asked, grinning slyly at her as he rubbed his hands gently up the small of her back. "If you're still tired, we can always…"

He stopped mid-sentence as, giggling quietly to herself, she suddenly pulled him close and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she kissed him, as warmly and passionately as she ever had.

"Does that answer your question?" she sighed, as their lips parted a second time, looking back up at his stunned, love struck face as he took a long, deep breath.

"I'd say it does," he chuckled, as she tugged his arm playfully and started to lead him toward the house. "I'd say it does, indeed."

"Come on, baby," Padmé giggled, as she wrapped her arm tightly around his waist, walking slowly beside him as they made their way through her mother's garden in the soft moonlight. "No more deep thoughts, not for the rest of the night," she said, looking up at him fondly as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Anakin looked at her, as they stopped for just a moment; he smiled, as she reached up and caressed his cheek gently as she gazed deeply into his eyes for a long moment.

"I love you, Anakin Skywalker," she said softly, gazing up at him fondly. "So much."

"I love you," Anakin nodded, as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly again.

They both looked up, as the kitchen's screen door suddenly flew open. "Master Ani," Threepio called, waving his metal arm at them wildly as he pushed the door open and stepped out onto the stoop. "Mistress Sola asked me to tell you that you need to come in at once."

"What's wrong, Threepio?" Anakin asked, his expression growing a little more concerned as he and Padmé started toward the house. "What's going on?"

"Apparently, little Mistress Leia has had a malfunction with her food processing system," Threepio replied, waving his arms a bit frantically as they both stopped a bit short of the kitchen door and looked at each other. "Mistress Sola says that her system is currently stuck in reverse."

Anakin and Padmé both looked at each other for a long moment; Threepio cocked his head and looked back at them both, as they suddenly burst out laughing, quite hysterically. "I'll go," Padmé laughed, as she leaned up and kissed Anakin gently on the cheek. "Don't be far behind me, okay?"

"Master Ani, this is hardly a laughing matter," Threepio chided, stepping to the side and watching Padmé as she stepped past him, still laughing, and made her way into the house. "After all, if little Mistress Leia is suffering some form of malfunction, we need to…"

"Don't worry, Threepio," Anakin chuckled, slapping his tall, metal friend soundly on the shoulder as he pulled the door open and nudged him into the kitchen. "Believe it or not," he said, looking back at him with a grin as they started into the house, "she has these little malfunctions all the time."

"Oh, my," Threepio said, looking over his shoulder at Anakin as he shuffled slowly into the house ahead of him. "Is poor Master Luke defective, as well?"

"Yes," Anakin chuckled, as he closed the door behind him. "But in a little different way."

"Oh, dear," Threepio replied, waving his arms forlornly as he and Anakin made their way into the kitchen. "I do hope they can both be repaired."

"I think time will solve that little problem, Threepio," Anakin grinned, nodding his head slowly as he heard Leia's angry, upset cry coming from the back of the house. "Everything will be fine, you'll see," he said, looking back at his metal friend with a smile. "All we need is a little time."

_**The End**_

_**Star Wars Altered Universe Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith**_

_Our story continues in the next adventure in our_

_Star Wars: Altered Universe series, __**Episode III.5: Trial By Fire**_


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